... Members of Parliament and fellow citizens, let me start by saying that we enter into this Budget Vote debate at the time the country is facing unprecedented challenges in the post- apartheid economic era, in a world beaming with scientific and technological innovations. We enter into this Budget Vote when the country is faced with [Inaudible.] job losses in almost all the sectors of the economy and our inability to be the creators of innovative technology is a major contributor.
Therefore, the purpose of this Budget Vote is to realise the full potential of science and technology in social and economic development by developing human resources, research and innovations. There can be no doubt amongst us here in this Chamber tonight that the nation's greatest resource is its people. Therefore, the development of this great human resource is essential for inclusive economic growth and a capable developmental state.
The ANC policy objective of making sure that science and technology is used to improve the lives of all South Africans was progressively articulated in the 1992 Ready to Govern document which stated that:
We need science and technology in order to build a strong manufacturing industry so that we can make our own goods rather than import them.
The 1996 White Paper on Science and Technology describes the country's vision as one way of using science and technology to become economically competitive on the global scale on one hand and on the other hand, provide the essential services, infrastructure and effective health care for all South Africans. This policy vision of science and technology demonstrates the intentions of the South African democratic government in moving towards a developmental state and meeting the national priorities.
The National Development Plan 2030 importantly acknowledges that science, technology and innovations are crucial in enabling a broad- based socioeconomic development through a skilled and innovative population. We are very concerned that the NDP finds expression in government's Medium- Term Strategic Framework and brings recognition that an efficient, competitive and responsive economic
infrastructure network is important in dealing with socioeconomic challenges faced by our country.
House Chair, I'll focus here on the importance of knowledge production in solving South Africa's economic challenges and in building a developmental state, and the contribution that science and technology plays in this regard. Most of the socioeconomic challenges faced by our country emanate from the apartheid legacy that gave birth to the skewed industrial and economic policy. This has left many of our people without the much-needed human skills and technical capacity. Under the 1953 Bantu Education Act, teaching mathematics and science top black people was deemed unnecessary and the post-apartheid government has however, over the past 25 years made serious strides in reversing and correcting the effects of this inhumane, brutal, barbaric, cruel and horrible legacy.
Through a co-ordinated and efficient national system of innovations, the department aims at helping South Africa achieve national development priorities through health and education. We also believe that science, technology and innovation will play a pivotal role in reducing poverty, inequality and unemployment especially amongst the multitudes of young people in the country.
The department has allocated over this medium-term R23,8 billion which is about 92,5% of the department's budget to entities under the Department of Science and Technology. Moreover, about R3,9 billion over the medium-term will be invested in the production of new knowledge and the development and commercialisation of technology. Government has done well in the past to invest in science, technology and innovation, STI and is targeting to spend 1,5% of the country's GDP on science, technology and innovation. We call on the private sector to continue playing their part as they have been, but also implore them to commit more of their funding and help government initiatives. In addition to funding, we also encourage them to work together with government in shaping the country for a better future.
We welcome the increase of about R192,6 million from R7,8 billion in the 2018-19 financial year to about R8,1 billion in the 2019-20 financial year; and about R8,9 billion in the 2021-22 financial year. We welcome this increased allocation in the face of government's fiscal consolidation. This demonstrates the government's commitment in using science, technology and innovation as a progressive tool to redress our socioeconomic challenges.
Chairperson, this welcomed increase in the budget allocation is not a blind welcome but puts an onus on us to produce results. Over the last medium- term, through the National Research Fund, NRF government-funded programme, we have been able to produce over 10 000 PhD graduates and over 3 000 PhD students are currently receiving funding over the medium-term. The department, through its entities, will fund about 9 300 PhD students as we have [Inaudible.] Equally impressive is the 32 400 postgraduate students who will receive funding over the medium- term and 4 500 researchers who have received grant funding over the last medium-term. With 4 500 researchers currently receiving grants, a further 4 500 will receive grants over the medium-term. This demonstrates the department's commitment to strengthening research and innovation competencies and programmes from the strategic foundation for scientific innovation. This is crucial, Chair, as production of new knowledge finds its way into various reputable and globally-competitive scientific journals and other publications.
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This august House knows the importance of the indigenous knowledge systems as we have heard and the need to invest in the industrial health and agricultural sectors. A total of R616,3 million has already been allocated over the medium-term in the biotechnology innovation and a further R170,4 million over the same period allocated to the National Intellectual Property Management Office. It is important to ensure that we do not only invest in the production of new knowledge but also protect such knowledge.
Intellectual property rights have a great potential to attract investment and build new manufacturing industries; a role that the developmental state must play to advance its socioeconomic objectives as articulated in the Ready to Govern document. It is important to protect and develop indigenous knowledge and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research has already embarked on a number of initiatives aimed at scientific and industrial development of indigenous knowledge with commercial viability.
Through scientific innovation and patent rights, indigenous communities can be afforded the opportunity to commercialise their knowledge and this will bear positive socioeconomic spinoffs for the country and improve rural livelihoods. It is for this reason that
legislation that speaks to protection and promotion of indigenous knowledge systems becomes very crucial.
At this moment I think I must first thank all these opposition parties which really understand the role of the opposition. The role opposition is not to - it's okay - disagree with everything.