Basil presents K70,000 for unitech’s ‘development needs’

NATIONAL Planning and Monitoring Minister Sam Basil has handed over a cheque of K70,000 to the University of Technology as the Government’s support to cater for the investment and development needs of the university in Lae.
Basil said the Government was supporting the university’s efforts to acquire Telikom College. “This aims to accelerate efforts to expand quantity and quality of university education to our young people,” he said.
The total assistance is K100,000.
Basil said the university and the department would start working on the university’s acquisition plans, the scoping and costing of the Telikom College acquisition and the re-development project.
He said the Government’s support for the acquisition and re-development of the Telikom College was to improve distance education by expanding the department of open and distant learning, and the National Centre for Entrepreneur Training through the Department of Business Studies.
He said the university had committed to ensuring the expansion and re-development included mining-related training and solar technology-related training.
“The concept of broader mining-related training for personnel for mines is aimed at making Morobe the mining training hub with theory followed by apprenticeship in existing or emerging mines,” he said.
University vice-chancellor Dr. Ora Renagi said the management wanted to turn the university into a top institution.