▲ 박영순 국회의원     ©박영순 의원

윤석열 대통령의 ‘R&D 카르텔’ 발언 이후 주요 부처의 R&D 예산들이 ‘묻지마식 삭감’을 당하고 있다는 지적이 제기됐다. 

10일, 국회 산업통상자원중소벤처기업위원회의 산업통상자원부(이하 산업부) 국정감사에서 더불어민주당 박영순 의원(대전 대덕)은 “윤석열 대통령의 R&D 카르텔 발언 이후 삭감된 산업부 R&D 예산이 무려 7천678억원”이라며 “정부가 대통령 말 한마디에 국가 R&D 사업 예산을 묻지마식으로 삭감하고 있다”고 주장했다. 

박 의원은 “산업부 R&D는 연평균 1만 6천 여건의 과제를 17만 8천여 명의 연구원이 수행하고 있다”면서 “산업부 R&D 예산 삭감으로 2만 5천여 명의 연구원의 고용문제가 발생할 우려가 있다”고 지적했다.

또한 박 의원은 “정부가 부처간 협의까지 완료한 예산을 삭감하고, 경제적·사업적으로 타당성을 검증받는 예비타당성조사를 통과한 사업마저 예산을 삭감하고 있다”면서 “대통령의 말 한마디에 카르텔을 찾아내야 하는 부처가 끼워 맞추기식 탁상행정으로 예산을 삭감하고 있고, 해당부처는 해명자료를 내는 촌극이 벌어지고 있다”고 주장했다.

박영순 의원은 “보수진보를 막론하고 IMF와 같은 국가적 위기 상황에서도 R&D예산은 줄이지 않았다”며 “R&D 예산삭감은 예산을 아끼는 것이 아니라, 지금까지 투자해 온 것들을 물거품으로 만들어 오히려 예산 낭비”라고 강조했다.

이밖에 박 의원은 “후쿠시마 오염수 방류 홍보, 독립운동가 흔적 지우기에 쓸 돈은 있지만, 국가 미래에 투자할 돈은 없다는 게 현 정부의 입장이냐”고 따지며 “우리 산업과 경제를 책임지는 장관으로서 이 상황에 대해 대책을 마련하라”고 주문했다.

*아래는 위 기사를 '구글 번역'으로 번역한 영문 기사의 [전문]입니다. '구글번역'은 이해도를 높이기를 위해 노력하고 있습니다. 영문 번역에 오류가 있을 수 있음을 전제로 합니다.<*The following is [the full text] of the English article translated by 'Google Translate'. 'Google Translate' is working hard to improve understanding. It is assumed that there may be errors in the English translation.>

National Assembly member Park Young-soon pointed out the 700 billion won reduction in R&D budget.

After President Yoon Seok-yeol’s ‘R&D cartel’ remark, it was pointed out that the R&D budgets of major ministries were being ‘unquestioningly cut’.

On the 10th, during the audit of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (hereinafter referred to as the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy) by the National Assembly Trade, Energy, Small and Medium Venture Business Committee, Rep. Park Young-soon (Daedeok, Daejeon) of the Democratic Party of Korea said, “The R&D budget of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, which was cut after President Yoon Seok-yeol’s R&D cartel remarks, amounted to a whopping 767.8 billion won. He claimed, “The government is cutting the national R&D budget without question at the president’s word.”

Rep. Park said, “The R&D of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has about 178,000 researchers carrying out an average of 16,000 tasks per year. There are concerns that employment problems for about 25,000 researchers may arise due to cuts in the R&D budget of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.” pointed out.

In addition, Rep. Park said, “The government is cutting the budget for which inter-ministerial consultations have been completed, and is even cutting the budget for projects that have passed preliminary feasibility studies to verify economic and business feasibility,” adding, “A cartel can be created with just one word from the President.” He claimed, “The ministry that is supposed to be found is cutting its budget through a pie-in-the-sky desk administration, and the relevant ministry is making a farce of providing explanatory materials.”

Representative Park Young-soon said, “Regardless of whether we are conservative or progressive, we did not reduce the R&D budget even during a national crisis such as the IMF,” and emphasized, “Reducing the R&D budget is not about saving the budget, but rather a waste of the budget by making the investments that have been made so far go to waste.” .

In addition, Rep. Park asked, “Is the current government’s position that there is money to spend on promoting the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima and erasing traces of independence activists, but no money to invest in the future of the country?” and asked, “As the minister responsible for our industry and economy, this is the position of the government.” “Please prepare measures for the situation,” he ordered.