Entrust Science and Technology Related Policies and Budget Drawing to the Science and Technology Minister

The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) under direct control of the president will be likely to have control over the science and technology related budgets of the whole nation.

The NSTC is also likely to have the Science and Technology minister as its vice president. The head of the Special Board for Ten Technology Growth Engines reserved for the Finance and Economy Minister, who is also a deputy premier, at first will be assigned to him as well.

Senior government officials said on January 7, “We are discussing a plan with organizations like the Decentralization Committee for Government Innovation to combine and regulate scattered science and technology related policies by reorganizing the NSTC centering on the Ministry of Science and Technology.”

The government plans to create a new position of vice president in the NSTC and put the Science and Technology minister under its charge. The NSTC is composed of its president (President Roh), the 13 ministers of each agency, the head of The Office for Government Policy Coordination, the head of the Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology and 13 civilian members.

When the Science and Technology minister, an administering affairs commissioner is promoted to the vice president, he can have practical power to regulate the science and technology policies of each department.

In addition, the government is examining a plan for the NSTC to make up a science and technology related budget and execute it gradually.

It is going to evaluate science and technology related programs carried on by each agency and reflect the result in the Ministry of Planning and Budget (MPB)’s 2005 budget drawing after increasing the number of small committees from thirteen to fifteen.

Next to it, the government is considering a plan that for the NSTC executives for the total Research and Development budgets of the whole nation confided by MPB from 2006 and draw up 2007 budget together with MPB.

The Science and Technology minister will also be appointed the head of the Special Board for Ten Technology Growth Engines under the NSTC who synthesizes and regulates the ten technology growth engines. Apart from the original plan to appoint the Finance and Economy minister to its head once the Special Board is set, the government changed the plan as the Science and Technology minister, who is qualified for a virtual deputy premier on technology, controls overall science and technology related policies of each agency. It also examines a plan to put 19 science and technology related national research Institutes under the Science and Technology ministry or NSTC.

Ki-Jeong Ko koh@donga.com