5 Dec 2017

PNG university threatens to exclude students over debt

12:34 pm on 5 December 2017

A University in Papua New Guinea is threatening to refuse students from the province of West New Britain if the government doesn't pay its debt.

The chancellor of the University of Goroka, Joseph Sukwianomb, said the West New Britain provincial government owes more than US$438,000 in unpaid fees.

Mr Sukwianomb told the Post Courier newspaper that if no arrangements were made soon, then the university will not take in new students and may stop others from graduating.

He said the provincial government had, so far, not replied to any correspondence or an official delegation the university sent to the province.

Mr Sukwianomb said the government had an obligation to come good on its part of the agreement, which sees the government pay the fees of eligible students.