Proposed income of up to 300 million/month for general engineer of strategic technology

Also according to the draft, the chief architect is proposed a maximum remuneration of 250 million VND, the project manager 150 million VND, and experts and excellent scientists 140 million VND per month. The main researcher receives 100 million VND/month, while the researcher receives 80 million VND.

At the workshop to comment on new regulations, on the morning of July 9 in Hanoi, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh, Chief Accountant of the National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED), said that the drafting group proposed remuneration levels for each group based on Singapore's experience.

Specifically, the remuneration is given on the basis of reference to the income of a similar position at the Singapore Agency for Science and Technology Research (A*STAR). The calculation is based on conversion of after-tax income and adjusted for purchasing power parity - PPP, tied to specific positions, responsibilities and output products.

For example, a general engineer position in Singapore has an income of 25,000 SGD (440 million VND) per month after tax. When converted by purchasing power parity in Vietnam, this number is about 264 million VND. The drafting group then proposed a level of 300 million VND.

"General engineer is a very scarce position in terms of human resources," Ms. Thanh said, adding that that is the reason the proposed level is higher than the converted number. According to her, competitive remuneration will attract and retain excellent scientists, increase the efficiency of state budget use, accelerate the process of mastering core technologies, and increase the rate of localization and commercialization of research results.

According to a representative of the NAFOSTED Fund, "to have strategic technology, there must be a strategic financial mechanism. To have technological talent, there must be an internationally competitive remuneration mechanism."

Dr. Tran Do Dat, Deputy Director of the Vietnam - Korea Institute of Science and Technology (VKIST), said that when he read the proposal, he shared this "good news" with many colleagues.

According to him, the needs of scientists are very diverse and cannot be measured by income. However, the norms set out in the draft are appropriate and can motivate researchers. "For scientists in Vietnam, this level is suitable and competitive with businesses," Mr. Dat assessed.

Six groundbreaking financial mechanisms

The proposal on remuneration is one of "six breakthrough financial mechanisms" included in the draft Circular regulating financial mechanisms for strategic technology development tasks, under a special national program using the state budget.

Another new point is making estimates based on "work packages" or Work Packages. Each "work package" has clearly defined scope, resources, schedule and deliverables. Budget is allocated and disbursed according to actual completion milestones.

The remaining financial breakthroughs include: reserve funding; Carry out tasks according to many independent research plans; autonomously select suppliers and manage clusters and task chains.

According to the Chief Accountant of NAFOSTED Fund, traditional financial mechanisms have not kept up with the specifics of strategic technology tasks. Four main limitations of the current mechanism are that remuneration is not competitive; Estimates do not follow the technology life cycle; There are no instructions on the use and management of reserve funds; There is no mechanism to allow tasks to be carried out according to many independent research plans. These bottlenecks will all be removed according to the new draft regulations.

"The Circular is not simply a financial regulation, but proposes a new approach to investing in science and technology. It is a shift in thinking from managing research funds to investing in strategic technology, with a focus on people, output products and commercialization," the NAFOSTED Fund representative emphasized.

Mr. Dao Ngoc Chien, Director of NAFOSTED Foundation, said that under the direction of the Minister of Science and Technology, the Foundation and assigned units research and advise on the development of a new document to create breakthroughs from many angles. The first change lies in management thinking, followed by a breakthrough in financial mechanisms. The third breakthrough is the management and construction process, shifting the view of a scientific and technological project or task to closer to reality.

Director of the Academy of Science and Technology Strategy Pham Dinh Nguyen assessed that the draft has the "right approach", moving from traditional financial and administrative mechanisms to management based on goals, work groups, evaluation milestones, and output products, allowing many independent research options and autonomy in choosing contractors.

"These are points that are very consistent with the spirit of Resolution 57 and the requirements of the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation," Mr. Nguyen commented.

Trong Dat