Fund Help programme

I AM frustrated with the government’s Higher Education Loan Programme (Help) which benefits a minority while most students are in suspense.
The department responsible did not conduct awareness or provide students with appropriate information regarding the loan.
The criteria should have been made known to the public earlier before schools began.
We just realised that only a few students attending certain tertiary institutions were awarded the loan.
As a result, students from Port Moresby Technical College protested last week.
More students attending other tertiary institutions would have organised for such protest but due to lack of information and misunderstanding, it never happened.
The eligibility requirements for the Help programme was publicised lately in the media after the first installment.
The second installment will be closed after one week from now and we wonder how things are going to work when most students are still following up or waiting to get their NID cards as it is one of the requirements.
Most students will not submit their Help application online as most do not easily access internet.
Internet is not easily accessible everywhere and is costly.
Other identification requirements as stated on the media are bit time consuming if students are to provide all these.
They cannot provide all these requirements within one week as students are attending classes at these stage.
The Government should take into consideration the above factors and fund more money from the Covid-19 economic stimulus package of K5.7 billion to support the Help programme.
The country is not severely affected by the Covid-19 but its existence has greatly impacted the economy.

Ruben K. Walkers