Ialibu-Pangia students at the University of Papua New Guinea recently received a cheque worth K293,000.
A representative from the Ialibu-Pangia District Development Authority (DDA), Samson Wereh, presented two cheques to the Ialibu-Pangia Student Association president, Wayne Wama.
K252,000 will be for the internal students while K41,000 is set aside for the external (Open campus) students.
The subsidy break-up is; K2,000 per internal student while K1,000 goes to individual external students.
Under the leadership of local MP and former Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill, the Tuition Fee Assistance Scheme was rolled out in 2016 and for five consecutive years, the DDA has allocated K10 million into the scheme.
Each year, the DDA allocates K2 million to subsidise the tuition fees for Ialibu-Pangia students studying in various institutions around the country and overseas.
Wereh further apologised to the students for the delay in the assistance, citing COVID-19 and court cases, among others.
Nevertheless, he said: “We are here with the news that your subsidy has already been paid into UPNG’s account at Mendi BSP Bank on 7th July.
“I am here on behalf of the chairman (Peter O’Neill) and the DDA of Ialibu-Pangia to present these cheques and to clarify the doubts of the stakeholders, parents and students that the subsidies were already sent to the respective accounts of the institutions and students can now access them.”
DDA board member and President of South, Wiru Wambi Nondi, told the students: “The intention of the scheme is to boost the human resource in the district and to remind you students that the DDA of Ialibu-Pangia has a legacy in you.”
(Article and picture by Albert Moses – final year UPNG Journalism student)