Brasília, April 16, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The Minister of Science and Technology, Roberto Amaral, affirmed yesterday (15) that the Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT) will not suffer as a result of the federal government's having placed R$ 14 billion of the 2003 Federal Budget on a contingency basis, as announced in February. According to Amaral, science and technology are part of the Administration's priorities and, for this reason, should not be affected.

The Minister explained that this year's projected budget for the MST, R$ 3.3 billion, is larger than last year's (R$ 2.1 billion). The tendency is for the Ministry's budget to receive a further infusion of funds next year. Last year it was decided by decree, in the Law of Budgetary Guidelines (LDO), that the amount of resources allocated to science and technology could not be placed on a contingency basis. "The policy of prohibiting the contingency of these funds is showing itself to be a correct policy on the part of the Administration, since it is beneficial for the country," he observed. (DAS)