Cuban minister of science, tech and environment highlights increase in financing

HAVANA, Cuba, Jan 21 (ACN) Elba Rosa Perez Montoya, Cuban minister of science, technology and environment, said on Wednesday that the increase in financing for the development of this sector has been significant in Cuba in recent years.

Speaking on the TV and radio program Mesa Redonda, she said that from 2000 to 2019, it increased from around 250 to 699 million pesos.

As for the contribution of the business sector it represented a change from 84.9 million to about 253 million pesos, but she insisted that the investment of the companies is still not enough.

Perez Montoya also mentioned that the specific financing of innovation was approved, in order to encourage the use of profits in the entities, the development of research for new products and processes, the use of the provisions of the central administration of the State, the collaboration of the Superior Organizations of Business Management and other resources.

The Cuban minster emphasized that science cannot be conceived as an expense, but as an investment, since it contributes as a strategic pillar for the country's development.

In 2020, all the scientific potentialities to face the pandemic were demonstrated and that was possible largely due to the consolidation of an innovative government work system, under the leadership of the president of the country, Miguel Diaz-Canel, she continued.

The official also referred to the key role of scientists and professionals in the sector in the battle against COVID-19 and the achievements in the implementation of policies for the transformation of the Science, Technology and Innovation System in order to boost knowledge.

As priorities for this year, she listed as priorities to continue fostering the culture of innovation, to continue with the education and training of human resources in the field, to take greater advantage of the academies of Higher Education and to generalize scientific results for their real impact on society.