Western tertiary students get K1.3 million support
Around 400 tertiary students from Western Province are being assisted with school fees to the tune of K1.3 million from the Fly River Provincial Government.
Western Governor, Taboi Awi Yoto made some of the presentations in Parliament to institution representatives and students yesterday.
Most of the institutions had their funds deposited into accounts. Students attending university received a total of K475, 858. 38. Students attending nine teacher training colleges received K301,887.50; four technical colleges received K233,370.40; four business colleges received K223,282.80; other colleges received K47,000 and Rumginae Community Health Workers College received K100,000.
From the funds each university student’s fees will be subsidised with K5000 per year and students attending other institutions will receive a subsidy of K3000 each.
Mr Yoto said his province is one of the richest in the country but those riches have not been translated into anything tangible on the ground.
He said rural communities such as Bamu and Morehead parents could not afford school fees so his government was taking the burden off communities.
“We have given so much to this nation that this nation has forgotten us. We have given so much to the country through Ok Tedi and continue to become the economic backbone of this country through tax, profits and proceeds from Ok Tedi,” Mr Yoto said.
We have been so kind to pay school fee for students in other parts of the country and others have benefitted from us but there is nothing to show for.
Western Governor, Taboi Awi Yoto
To express that frustration, I am only paying school fees for students from Western Province.
Mr Yoto said said K4 million was allocated but the provincial government and was able to raise K2 million where K1.3 million is being distributed to tertiary institutions.
The remaining which is less that K600,000, will go for school fees for students whose parents are serving in remote parts of Western Province.
Principal for Sacred Heart Teachers College Teckla Aknonero thanked the governor and assured him that the college would identify students in communities, train them and return them to serve their communities.
Port Moresby Technical College deputy principal academic Jake Mitiam said the college decided to hold back students on trust basis.
- Western tertiary students get K1.3 million support - August 8, 2018
