Students should not be penalised for trying to get an education as it is essential in nation building and key to getting people out of poverty, says Unity Fiji leader Savenaca Narube.
He made the comment in support of Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) member Ro Teimumu Kepa’s query as to how the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) expected unemployed Tertiary Education Loan Scheme (TELS) recipients to pay their debts.
Ro Teimumu was responding to FRCS director of taxation Momina Beg who told the Public Accounts Committee in Parliament on Monday that the TELS debt stood at $259 million.
“How can we expect the school leavers to pay debt under these conditions. Government must offer them relief,” Mr Narube said.
“Unemployment is at an all-time high, job creation is not enough and poverty is exploding.
“Education should never be linked with the ability of the family to pay. It is a right not a privilege.”
The former Reserve Bank of Fiji governor said the only fair and equitable policy was to forgive the TELS debt and offer students full scholarship.
“Times are very difficult. This Government has saddled the country with a debt crisis.
“In 2018, Unity Fiji was the only political party that announced free education up to tertiary levels and the forgiveness of all debt under TELS.
“We will be announcing this important message in our manifesto which will be launched next week.”
