Ashgabat, 26 June 2020: In the frameworks of UNDP and the State Statistics Committee of Turkmenistan joint project, work on the implementation of the System of National Accounts 2008 (SNA 2008) is going on.

A vivid evidence of this is the online round table on the definition of scientific research services and their use in calculating GDP, which was held at the State Statistics Committee of Turkmenistan.

During the round table, important aspects of this issue were considered, such as definitions of the concept of scientific research and experimental design work (R&D), their reflection in the SNA 2008, primary sources and the recommended algorithm for determining the output of R&D.

“R&D in the SNA is defined as a scientific research, development, as a result of which knowledge is created. Knowledge, in turn, is an economic asset that belongs to the category of intellectual property. Thus, in the SNA 2008, the output of research activities is capitalized, i.e. recognized as assets, and the acquisition, disposal and amortization of fixed assets for R&D will be treated in the same way as for other fixed assets”, Mr. Alexey Ponomarenko, International UNDP expert noted in this presentation.

The round table served as a platform for acquaintance and discussion by the participants of the submitted draft methodology for determining the services of scientific and research activities.