The Deputy Prime Minister made the statement at a recent conference with the Ministry of Science and Technology to review the implementation of Government Resolution No 115, which regulates self-control and financing mechanisms for State-owned scientific and technological organisations.

Nhan said that it would be necessary to ensure intellectual properties for creations and inventions of scientists, and to encourage scientific and technological offices to participate in programmes for national products.

He asked the ministry to prepare solutions for hindrances and difficulties that the scientists faced.

Nhan also asked the ministry to review the three-year implementation of the Resolution by November.

At the conference, Dr Nguyen Quan, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, reviewed the implementation of Government Resolution No 115, which was issued on September 5, 2005.

By the end of this year' + char(39)+ N's first quarter, of 504 scientific and technological organisations from across the country, only 205 hall scientific or technological projects that had been approved.

The ministry also pointed out that when implementing the Resolution, many scientific and technological organisations were afraid to change to a self-controlled mechanism (that would hold them responsible before the State for their own operation). In particular, many localities still wanted subsidies from the State, so their activities were not effective. Leaders from some ministries and sectors still did not have firm management or co-ordination for implementing the Resolution.

According to Dr Nguyen Quan, Resolution 115 and Resolution 80 of the Government were two important solutions for organisations and the activities of scientific offices. These resolutions aimed to give more self-control and the right to be more self-sufficient to State-owned scientific and technological of offices.

According to Resolution 115, the State would allow scientific and technological organisations to choose among three models of organisations:

First, scientific and technological organisations which study strategies and policies to serve the State management would be supplied capital from the State budget to assure regular operations basically being subsidised by the State but a higher level of self control.

Second, scientific and technological organisations which pay their own expenses for their operations would be given part of their expenditures from the State budget. If they do their own business and production, they would be given the same priority as newly-established enterprises.

Third, organisations that are changed into enterprises that work in the scientific and technological fields would be given top priority by the State in their initial period of formation and development.

In terms of finances, Resolution 115 has created a change in the allotment of expenses from the State budget. Instead of supplying expenses according to the size of their staff, from now on scientific and technological organisations will be supplied from the State budget on the basis of research projects assigned by the State or through bidding.

The Resollution allows scientific and technological organisations to operate "like enterprises" or they can turn into real enterprises. In this case, they would be given business licenses (like those for enterprises), and enterprise income taxes would be reduced for them.

Regarding property, the Resolution allows scientific and technological organisations to be allocated State properties, including land use rights. They have the right to manage and use State properties for scientific research, business and production.

In terms of managing their staff, the Resolution increases power for leaders of scientific and technological organisations, in order to help reform their administrations. They are given more rights. For example, leaders of scientific and technological organisations can decide to employ, nominate and sign working contracts.

Quan said that many scientific and technological organisations had become very successful after changing their working styles following Resolution 115, and they appreciated the Government' + char(39)+ N's policy, which had created "golden opportunities" for them to make further progress.