BY JARED KOLI
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD) Dr Franco Rodie assures Solomon Islands students in Papua New Guinea and Fiji that the Government is “almost there” on facilitating their special covid-19 allowance.
“I cannot tell you the date in which we might be able to pay the money. But what I can assure you is that we almost there,” Mr Rodie told a covid-19 radio talkback show hosted by the national broadcaster – SIBC, yesterday.
Rodie said they received requests for this from Fiji-based students as well as students from Papua New Guinea
“It has taken us a bit of time because we got to find the money, and there has been some good discussion between MEHRD and the Ministry of Finance,” he said.
He said last year they send students special COVID-19 allowance package. Island Sun understands that for Fiji students, this was around April 2020 when the first Covid-19 outbreak in Fiji.
“…that is what we are organising now. So we are trying to process what we need to do before we can make the payment,” he said.
Rodie said they should be able to provide that top up allowance soon for students, so that they can buy whatever they need to buy.
Meanwhile, the Education permanent Secretary said beside this normal allowances paid each month should last them until December.
