Dept signing deals for provinces to manage subsidy

By JINA AMBA
THE Education Department is signing deals with provinces to put the Government school fee subsidy under their care, says Education Minister Jimmy Uguro. Uguro and Education secretary Dr Uke Kombra have been travelling to provinces to sign the agreement. Dr Kombra said they had covered Milne Bay, Oro, East New Britain, New Ireland, Morobe, East Sepik, Eastern Highlands and Enga and were heading to Chimbu and Manus. “We are (also) assessing the provinces on their capacity and the stability of their administration,” he added. Dr Kombra said Government subsidies would still be allocated to schools but “through the provincial trust accounts”. “They are paid out of the trust accounts so the province knows exactly how much the school is receiving,” he said. “The school then has to acquit to the province.
This helps in ensuring that there are some transparency and accountably.” Dr Kombra said in some provinces, the funds were sent directly to school accounts, “but for the decentralised provinces, it is sent through the provincial trust accounts (to be) managed by the provincial authorities”.