YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. The 2007 draft state budget envisages allocations of 5.712 bln drams for science against 5.193 bln drams this year, that is, the growth in science financing makes 10%. The RA Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy Pavel Safarian said during the November 7 joint sitting of the RA National Assembly standing committees that the allocations for science are increased in proportion with the growth of budgetary revenues. 157 mln drams (about 413 thousand USD) of the indicated sum is allocated for capital construction. Current expenditures of science have been increased by 17% or 807 mln drams. Large part of the increased sum is aimed for basic financing which is due to the government's intention to raise the salaries of scientific workers to 50 thousand drams. The salaries of employees who service scientific enterprises will increase to 25 thousand drams, which is equal to this year's salary of scientific workers. According to P. Safarian, the growth in thematic financing of science is not large. 1.329 bln drams will be allocated for such programs against 1.279 mln drams this year. The target programmed financing has been increased by 10% to about 73 mln drams, mainly for scientific developments for defence.

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