Raminai hails Kuman’s work as minister

MINISTER for Higher Education, Science, Research and Technology Wesley Raminai congratulated outgoing minister Nick Kuman for his achievement during his 18 months in the office.
In a ceremony on Thursday in Port Moresby, Raminai assured Kuman that he would carry on from where he left off.
Raminai said Kuman had played an important role in implementing the Government‘s reform agenda which was to reform, transform
and unify the higher education sector.
He said under Kuman’s leadership, teachers colleges were now a vital sub-sector of the higher education sector.
He said nursing colleges and technical colleges were going through an identical process.
These sub-sectors will now deliver quality assured programmes of study that were on par with international standards.
Raminai also commended Kuman’s efforts to ensure the registration of colleges and universities was carried out to meets legislative requirements and international standards.
He said students and parents could now be certain that the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology was carrying out its functions effectively.
Raminai said the other achievement was the higher education loan programme to help students afford to attend state tertiary institutions.
Kuman said he would now focus on his Gumine electorate in Chimbu after being committed to his ministerial portfolio for so long.
Kuman said another achievement worth highlighting under his tenure was the development of Western Pacific University in Southern Highlands which was set to take its first intakes.
He also acknowledged the assistance of the Chinese government which gave an additional K40 million for the university on top of initial support.
Kuman pledged to work with Raminai as he settled into his new ministry particularly with regards to the development of a polytechnical institute in Chimbu.
He said the construction of the school was scheduled to in April and end by November or December of next year and enroll students in 2022.