Subsidies in

By DULCIE OREKE
SCHOOLS throughout the country can heave a huge sigh of relief – K201,470,951.75 in school fee subsidies is in the bank.
Education Minister Paru Aihi yesterday presented the second payment of 2012 tuition fee-free education subsidies for the amount to banking officials in Port Moresby.
The three commercial banks, Bank of South Pacific, Westpac and ANZ, have each been given varying amounts to distribute to schools.
BSP gets to distribute the largest amount of K179,715,602.
Of that amount, BSP will distri­bute K95,534,902 to primary schools, K44,288,807 to high schools and secondary schools, K27,407,875 to elementary schools, K7,968,505 to vocational institutes and K364,938 to national high schools.
Southern Highlands elementary schools had been singled out to receive K4,150,575.

Westpac Bank’s share for distribution is  K10,880,156 with secondary and high schools obtaining K6,184,590, primary schools to get K3,177,510, vocational institutions K731,671, elementary schools K419,320 and national high schools K367,065.
A total of K10,875,193 was presented to ANZ from which primary schools’ share is K6,026,770, high/secondary schools share is K2,587,043, elementary schools get K1,129,865, vocational schools get K948,995 and national high schools get K182,520.
Aihi said schools without accounts would be issued  bank cheques.
During the presentation, Aihi called on schools to submit acquittals for the first tranche payment by the end of September along with an expenditure plan.
Failure to do both would affect funding to schools next year.
Aihi assured the nation of the government’s commitment to education.
He also asked schools to submit their school census.
“You cannot work and manage without information.
“Schools must get to work.”
He said the last thing the government wanted to see were schools shutting down because of unavailability of subsidies.