Government yet to give 2018-2019 USP grant which is about $9.9 million - Prof. Ahluwalia

The University of the South Pacific Vice-Chancellor, Professor Pal Ahluwalia says the government is yet to give them the remaining 2018-2019 grant which is about $9.9 million.

While presenting the USP 2018 Annual Report before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Ahluwalia says they are still waiting for the 2019-2020 grant which he hopes they will receive shortly.

He says this has put a lot of pressure on them but says they are not alone in this as the Fiji National University are also yet to receive their grant.

However he says they are very grateful to the government for the TELS grant because many students would not have been able to attend university without it.

Ahluwalia says in addition to this the Australian Government has also withdrawn funding as a result of the report of abuse of office that he wrote.

He says the Australian Government usually gives them $14 million but has only given $3.5 million so far in the first quarter and have not given anything since.

We have sent questions to the Education Ministry and are still waiting for their response.