Unitech needs funds to complete academic year

THE University of Technology’s Taraka campus in Lae is in dire need of money to complete the academic year, the university administration revealed this week.
The Unitech management is unable to continue the second semester because it owes millions of kina in unpaid bills.
Expected monthly government grants have not been paid.
Acting Vice-Chancellor Dr Ora Renagi, Pro-Vice Chancellor (administration) Dr Kaul Gena and Bursar Diraviam Tharmaraj revealed the university’s plight to the media this week.
Renagi said that the university has already incurred debts amounting to more than K10 million.
This include salaries, superannuation contributions, catering services, internet communication,  payroll deductions, laboratory fees, union board fees, repayment to trust, small supplies payment and other commitments and payment to the Internal Revenue Commission.
Renagi said the budget appropriation for Unitech in 2017 was K47,386,900.
So far, K26,269,173 has been paid into the university account and the balance of K21,117,727 is yet to be paid.
Renagi said that the balance was for September, October and November.
“We have yet to receive any positive response from the departments of Treasury, Finance and Higher Education, Science and Technology,” he said.
“The Government is paying Unitech in bits and pieces until lately it quit releasing our grants and we are ending up in a critical situation.
“If IPI Catering Services closes the mess tomorrow and the academic staff are not paid then we are in a serious situation which the Government needs to understand.”