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FM
Former Member

DEMERARA WAVES, JULY 22 ---

Most new and continuing University of Guyana (UG) students will have to pay higher tuition fees from this academic year to help the institution provide a higher quality of education at a time of rising operational costs and inflation.

UG said in a statement that new students would have to pay GUY$210,000 per academic year and continuing students GUY$180,000 over the same period.

“The fee adjustment has become necessary due to the rising cost of providing quality education not only in Guyana but worldwide. Additionally, inflation has negatively affected the allocation to the University from the Government, making the current tuition fees paid by students unsustainable and unrealistic,” said UG in a statement.

This is the first time that the country’s premier tertiary institution has increased tuition fees since they were reintroduced in 1994.  At that time, most programmes were offered at GUY$127,000 or US$1,000.  But since then, the Guyana dollar has depreciated to GUY$210.00 against the US$1.00

Meanwhile, registration is scheduled to commence on Tuesday, July 29, 2014 for both new and continuing students.

UG Registrar, Vincent Alexander said UG expects that the added revenue will be used to create new academic services and facilities, help hire new faculty and expand and improve programme offerings- “in general, to improve the quality of services offered by the University.”

UG acknowledged that many students and families experience difficulties to finance tertiary education. At the same time, the institution stressed that it can only continue to deliver to its students if the university is able to cover its operational costs. “The university has been and continues to absorb as much of its increased operational costs as it can to manage its financial resources,” UG added.

UG appealed to all stakeholders for understanding and support as the university doubles its efforts to provide quality education to our students.

According to the UG administration, application of the new fees was determined following a series of consultations held with current students and other stakeholders in June 2014.

Continuing Guyanese students will pay an incremented increase beginning with $130,000 in 2014, $145,000 in 2015 and $160,000 in 2016, in addition to the $50,000 Facilities Fee, which replaces the various miscellaneous fees, previously paid.          Fees for the following programmes will not be adjusted: Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, Bachelor of Science Degree in Optometry, Bachelor of Science Degree in Medical Imaging, Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing, Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy, Bachelor of Science Degree in Rehabilitation Sciences, Bachelor of Science Dental Surgery, Masters of Science in Environmental Management, Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Management-Climate Change and Disaster Management & Natural Resource Management, Bachelor of Law, Commonwealth Master of Business Administration, Commonwealth Master of Public Administration, Master in Education, Bachelor of Arts Degree in Tourism Studies and the Associate Degree in Tourism Studies. However, students pursuing these programmes will be required to pay the Facilities Fee.

New students (Guyanese) are required to pay $210,000, inclusive of the Facilities Fee for most programmes, except for those listed above.

While the fees for foreign students have not been adjusted, they will be required to pay the US$ 250 facilities fees instead of the various miscellaneous fees, which were previously paid.

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Oh, to be the former president!

July 20, 2014 | By | Filed Under AFC Column, Features / Columnists 

Much has been said recently about the Former President’s benefits, and really, there should be no argument that having served in the highest public office, he is entitled to a package that allows him to maintain a very decent standard of living. The issue, then, is not whether the former president should have a superior pension and benefits, but how these would impact on a country with limited resources at its disposal. Having served for just over ten years in the public service, he now takes home 220 times more than the average public servant who had to have worked some forty years to receive a meagre pension.  For a party espousing the principles of the value of labour in keeping with its communist philosophy, this has got to be the most glaring example of “do as we say but not as we do…” The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government in the last days of the Jagdeo administration realized that because of its policies of hegemony and favouritism there would be a backlash, and sought to mitigate this by instituting certain bills that in all reality should never have been passed.  The Former Presidents’ Pension Bill is one such piece of legislation.  This has got to be revisited now that the PPP no longer has a majority in parliament. Just think, one citizen, regardless of what he may or may not have contributed, becomes the immediate beneficiary of a King’s ransom.  Does this even begin to make sense?  Any right-thinking person would immediately understand that there can be no justification for such an outlay by a country with our limited resources.  In the case of Jagdeo, this should never have been allowed as, this law, instituted under his presidency, should only have been available to Presidents coming after him.  Where in this world would you assent to a law that benefits you personally?  Of course, this is Guyana and anything goes. Just think about this: we have one man who lives alone in palatial splendour with an electricity bill at home that exceeds the amount used by some small businesses.  Does he have lights on in every room all the time and keep the air-conditioning running when he is abroad? How can a private residence run up a monthly electricity bill of some $300,000? Is there industrial manufacturing going on there? It is even more interesting that he seems to be more on the travel circuit than he is at home. But nothing new there!  This has got to be ludicrous.  He travels more than the sitting President and has the right it seems, with all he already gets, to foist this bill on the taxpayer, as part of his benefits package. How can he in all honesty justify this, even to himself?  Where has morality gone? The government protests when it is asked to raise the salaries of public servants by 5%.  A nurse takes home just around $60,000 per month, and it is expected that this will look after his or her needs and pay all the bills.  It is no surprise then that the former President opts to fly out to the United States for medical treatment.  Any reasonable individual in his position would be very worried to have those high-priced doctors attend to them knowing this. People at Linden lost their lives and others were injured when they protested against an increase in their electricity tariffs as they could not afford it, many of them were unemployed. But, here we have one man foisting on taxpayers, including those people at Linden, a monthly bill of $300,000 to electricity flowing to his house…strike that, Palace! Where has our sense of rightness gone?  We sit aimlessly by and allow this administration to hoodwink us like frogs under which the water boils, without realizing that each day they continue to force more and more heat up our rear ends. As a people we have got to see that this administration is taking more and more for themselves and their cronies and the Former President’s benefits package is just one glaring example that we must not allow to remain on our statutes. No true statesman, or person of high moral standing and deep regard for his people would have assented to this bill or would have affixed his signature to this bill, and we must understand from this that both Jagdeo and the PPP, who passed this bill, have only their own interests at heart. Every other Guyanese has to suffer while those closely associated with the PPP administration utilize the country’s resources for their own personal ends.  That Rohee can suggest that this is not exorbitant only tells us more clearly that they think we will believe any nonsense they tell us. Can you afford a $300,000 electricity bill every month?

Mitwah

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