NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO 994
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: (28-08-2009) (INTERNAL
QUESTION PAPER NO 12-2009)
â993. Ms M R Shinn (DA) to ask the Minister of Science and Technology:
1) How much funding for research was (a) allocated to South African
scientists by the National Research Foundation and (b) unspent (i) in
(aa) 2007 and (bb) 2008 and (ii) during the period 1 January 2009 up to
the latest specified date for which the information is available;
2) whether the amount of funding has declined over the years; if not, what
is the position in this regard; if so, what is the reason for the
decline?
NW1217E
REPLY:
1(a) (i) The following amounts were allocated to researchers during the
financial years indicated in brackets R666Â 366Â 323 (2007/8);
R759Â 013Â 053 (2008/9); and
(ii) R911Â 390Â 549 (2009/10 anticipated).
1(b) (i) The following amounts were unspent during the financial years
indicated in brackets R123Â 666Â 651 (2007/8); R331Â 169Â 340
(2008/9); and
(ii) R64Â 610Â 992 (2009/10 anticipated).
D
2 As indicated in 1(a) above, in the period 2006/07 to 2009/10 the
funding that NRF allocated to scientists has increased by almost 50%
from R633Â 494Â 223 to R911Â 390Â 549.