NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY:
QUESTION 731
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 25 AUGUST 2009: INTERNAL
QUESTION PAPER NO 9-2009
"731. Mr P F Smith (IFP) to ask the Minister of Science and Technology:
Whether a cost-benefit analysis has been undertaken of state-funded
expenditure in respect of the science and technology sector, if so,
when and what were the findings; if not whether such a study will be
undertaken; if not, why not; if so what are the relevant details?"
NW657E
REPLY:
Although the Department of Science and Technology (DST) did not undertake a
cost-benefit analysis in its strictest sense, it does obtain information
about the cost or expenditure of state-funded science and technology
activities from various sources. For instance, as new projects are
proposed, evaluations are conducted to determine what value government
investment in such projects would hold. At another level, DST works with
its partners to produce the annual survey on Research and Experimental
Development (R&D survey), which presents the aggregated estimates of R&D
expenditure by government, higher education institutions, the private
sector and the non-profit sector. The DST also compiles reports on
publicly funded scientific and technological activities which provide a
holistic view of science and technology spending by government.
Public funding for scientific and technological activities for 2007/08 is
estimated to be R9,7 billion. This figure would necessarily include public
funding for research and development (R&D), which the 2006/07 National
Research and Experimental Development Survey estimates to be R5,6 billion.
A large portion of these funds is directed towards R&D performed by science
councils and higher education institutions. The R&D performed in
government departments in 2006 was just above R1 billion.
A separate study was conducted to track the benefits of public funding on
science and technology during 2008/09. Initial findings are that South
Africa is reaping the benefits of its public investment in R&D, which are
in line with the benefits derived from such spending by other countries,
for instance through the generation of new knowledge, industry efficiency,
human resource capacity development, and contributions to improved public
service delivery in health, safety, transport, access to information and
other areas. The quantifiable information regarding benefits for public
R&D investment is currently well articulated at the level of specific
interventions or projects, but is not yet well collated at macro level.
The DST is working on ways of improving the measurement of the impact of
science and technology.
(#163826)