DUSHANBE, February 7, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- The main objective of structural and administrative reform at the Academy of Sciences that has resulted in several research institutes merging is in reducing, first of all, the management staff, the Academy of Sciences President Mamadsho Ilolov said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

“The number of researchers will not be reduced as a result of merging of institutes,” said the academician, “Only the number of managers of institutes will be reduced.  In some institutes with staff of no more than 50 researchers, there were some 10 managers that is unprofitable both in terms of finance and development of science.”

Asked about the possibility of raising wages of researchers at the expense of management staff redundancy, Mr. Ilolov noted that the government was currently considering that issue.  He expressed confidence that the issue would be solved positively in the near future.

We will recall that President Emomali Rahmon on February 4 signed a number of decrees on merging several research institutes of Tajikistan’s Academy of Sciences,