PNG Government's Economic Mismanagement affects Teritiary students : Opposition

The government’s mismanagement of the country’s economy has a spill-over effect on the tertiary students nationwide this year as they have missed out on scholarships and spaces, says the Opposition.

Opposition Leader Don Pomb Polye said the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and his government’s move to cut down the quota for tertiary studentsponsorships and intakes speaks volumes of the country’s economic situation.

“The government has increased the Great Point Average (GPA) for students because they could not be able to afford the scholarships under AES and HECAS due to the economic problems,” said Mr Polye.

He has likened this as a ‘work of another Robert Mugabe or Julius Caesar in PNG.’

“We have seen most candidates, who have met the eligibility requirement for university entries, have missed out in shock,” he said.

He added the Prime Minister and his government was ‘synonymous with officious and sleazy manners to create a disastrous feeling for parents and their children in the New Year.’

He further said the Opposition was cautioning the government to weather the economic disasters from the beginning but the warnings were deafened by their arrogance.

“Now that what we projected, have come to a reality, the Prime Minister and his economic ministers are camouflaging government-induced problemswith sweet talks only to inflict on our people,” he said.

Polye has urged the Prime Minister and his High Education Minister to review the decision as the registration is still underway in most of the tertiary institutions.

“Pulling the GPA down to its original version will do a justice to those hardworking students.

“When we are in government, we will not only renovate the existing facilities but build more to absorb the increase in intakes for tertiary institutions,” he said.