BY INDY MAEALASIA

Many government-sponsored students studying in-country have not yet received their first-semester allowances, prompting calls for the government to urgently settle the outstanding payments.

A student enrolled at the University of the South Pacific (USP) Solomon Islands campus and Solomon Islands National University (SINU) expressed frustration, saying the delay has negatively affected their studies and daily needs.

“We are in week 11, and we haven’t received anything yet. This makes it difficult because we cannot purchase stationery or even pay for bus fares,” the USP students said.

“The people who have been helping us through the semester are starting to complain.”

With less than three weeks remaining before the end of the first semester classes, students have already submitted the required documents for allowance processing but have yet to receive a clear response from the Solomon Islands Tertiary Education and Skills Authority (SITESA).

According to the student, multiple visits were made to SITESA office, but staff reportedly told them to “check back later”.

Some students said they were told by the SITESA officer that their allowances have been processed and were given a PR number.

However, the students said they have been following up their PR numbers by the officials at the treasury and finance told them that “nothing has come yet from the ministry of education”.

It is understood that around half of government sponsored students have already taken their allowances, which was also late in the semester.

Around half are still waiting for theirs as the semester draws towards its end.

This paper has sent emails to SITESA’s Scholarship Division Director for comment. No response had been received at the time of publication.

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