SIG students hit hard by gov’t finance woe

IN what appears to be an effect of the country’s ailing financial situation, Solomon Islands government (SIG) sponsored students studying at various universities in Fiji yesterday received only FJ$300 of their FJ$1,040 monthly allowance for May.

Our source at the University of the South Pacific (USP) Laucala Campus confirmed last night that the allowance payment was paid into students’ accounts at 4pm yesterday afternoon.

Although students have been assured by the government, to settle the remaining amount today, this has hit hard on the students, labeling that the government has failed them.

“Some of us our landlords have been pressurising us to pay our rental dues and since the allowance is only little we can’t afford all these things,” a student protested.

A research student, who wishes anonymity, said this will surely affect students in their semester exams as the amount is very small to cater for food, stationeries and other urgent needs.

As cited, following correspondence made with the sponsor, the education attaché informed students that the situation is inevitable due to the current economic situation of the country, and this will continue until such time the government takes drastic decision to salvage the economic challenge.

Students have raised their complaints in the Solomon Islands Students Association (SISA) Facebook forum.

A student wrote, if SIG could not afford paying their allowance on time with the right amount, it must stop taking in more students.

Commenting on the country’s financial situation a student said: “We do hope that this situation is addressed sooner than later.

“The $300 we receive this evening [yesterday] shows that the cash flow problem back home is now moving from bad to worst.

“The question is, how long are we going to be treated like this? Government should not play round with our lives. If it could not manage to address this issues quickly, it is better to send us home rather than make us suffer and struggle in this country.”

Island Sun understands that there are more than a thousand students studying at various universities in Fiji.