by Jack Lapauve Jr – EM TV, Port Moresby
Tertiary students from Yangoru-Saussia district in East Sepik province will have their school fees subsidised with K1,000 assistance from the Yangoru-Saussia Joint District Budget Priority Committee (JDBPC).
Local Member and Minister for Trade, Commerce and Industry, Richard Maru announced this today.
“The Yangoru-Saussia [JDBPC] met last week and have agreed for a K1,000 school fee subsidy per student to be paid by the district for every tertiary student whose parents are currently based in the district or reside in the village,” said Minister Maru.
Minister Maru said the new Tertiary School Fee Subsidy Scheme will target ordinary villagers or parents who live and reside in the district and the subsidy will be paid directly to the institutions.
He said eligible parents who have already paid fees in full will be reimbursed their K1000 in full.
“As responsible leaders, we fully appreciate the financial hardships our ordinary village-based parents are facing and hence the need for the district to intervene with some assistance,” said Minister Maru.
He said it is also in line with the district’s stated policy of education being the district’s very important priority.
Minister Maru further announced that students whose parents are serving the public service in the district are also qualified for this subsidy.
The JDBPC agreed to this assistance to attract high quality public servants to work in the district. The Minister said:
“We have planned for 1,000 students to benefit from the scheme in 2015 and have budgeted K1 million in 2015 to fund the subsidy scheme.
“I want to make it clear that we are not paying all the fees but only assisting with a K1,000 subsidy per student,” said Minister Maru.
He said parents will still have to pay the balance of the fees, while the district will top up with the subsidy assistance.
