SOLOMON Islands Government (SIG) sponsored students from institutions in Fiji have reportedly began this academic year with the all-too-familiar stress over allowance delays.
This was confirmed yesterday afternoon after an email from the office of the Solomon Islands Education Attaché in Fiji notified students of the delay of students’ February allowance and book allowance.
These allowances are supposed to be paid on the first week of this month but have not.
Solomon Islands Students Association (SISA) at the USP, Laucala Campus yesterday received an email from Solomon Islands Education Attaché in Fiji, Samantha Teitei informing them that funds for their allowances has not yet been received by her office.
She adds that this means that their allowances will not be paid until a further date.
Ms Teitei said the issue is beyond her office’s capacity, saying that all payment is still in the Solomon Islands’ Australian New Zealand (ANZ) Bank.
She instead advised all students to inform their parents and guardians from Solomons to send money over to their children in Fiji to sustain them while waiting for the allowances.
Meanwhile, local students studying at the Laucala Campus yesterday raised their frustration following the delay of their allowances.
SISA understand that it almost three weeks since students arrived in Fiji but still they have not received their allowances.
“It is a bad start of our students’ 2018 academic year as the situation is quite disturbing to their study as their book allowances are also yet to be paid and most worrying is their cost of living in the foreign country.”
SISA urges responsible authorities to quickly address students’ issues. SISA is also appealing to all students to look after and care for each other at this time of hardship and struggle for future endeavours of their family and country.
–SISA PRESS
