QUESTIONS ON H.E.L.P. SCHEME

By Bruce Teke

The recent post on PNG Loop titled: "No Benefit in Free Education Policy: PM" [Source: https://bit.ly/37mQTk1 ] implored me to ask the following questions which many will have as well.

These pressing questions needs urgent and immediate clarification from either the Office of the Prime Minister or the Department of Higher Education, Science & Technology on whether the Prime Minister, Hon. James Marape's newly introduced scheme known as HELP to assist PNG tertiary students fees in 2020 and perhaps beyond.

Further, to the supporters of Prime Minister JM, please don't take these questions as political. This is from a good citizen who honestly seeking answers for and on behalf of poor parents, students and stakeholders subjected to the the questions below.

Questions are as follows:

1. Will the HELP scheme also ensure tertiary Papua New Guinean students attending Private Institutions like Institute of Business Studies University (IBSU), International Training Institute (ITI), Mapex Training Institute (MTI), Asia Pacific Institute of Applied Social Economics and Technological Studies (APIASETS), Kumul Training Institute(KTI), etc?
   
   Most of the students who could not pursue their studies in the system tertiary institutions through MSU selections due to the competitiveness in securing spaces ends up undertaking their studies in the private/church run institutions. Thus, the concerned authorities must plainly make known to the general public through such media as to whether the private institutions would also be eligible to apply for HELP scheme to ease their school fee burdens.
2. Would the HELP Scheme also students studying abroad to apply for loan?
3. Would the HELP Scheme has any GPA cut-offs? News are speculating that the GPA cut-off is 2.8 to be eligible for securing HELP successfully.
4. Would the SELF SPONSORED STUDENTS be eligible also to apply for fee assistance through HELP Scheme?
5. How well is Department of Higher Education, Science and Technology (DHERST) prepared with the roll out of this HELP Scheme, in terms of man-power, policy & guidelines, website and database, time and resources?
6. How well is National Statistical Office prepared in conjunction with the DHERST to ensure all the PNG Tertiary Students have their NID Cards on hand on time in order to qualify for applying for their fees through HELP Scheme before their enrollments commence?

In order for the subject of questions above to prepare in advance, the authorities need to clarify the citizens plainly clear as soon as possible.

PLEASE SHARE TO BIGGER AUDIENCE IF YOU THINK THESE QUESTIONS ARE IMPORTANT.

Other Sources:

• PNG-Higher Education Loan Program (PNG-HELP)-191219

• PM Marape announces major tertiary loan scheme

ELECTION PETITIONERS THROWING BAIT INTO THE SYSTEMATISED RIVER OF CORRUPTION

By:  Tarali Tarlzen HIBUYA

Let me start my prologue with a story of a man who wanted to go out on a mission of catching fish using his hook tight to a nylon string in the agitated Tagali River in the highlands (Hela Province) of Papua New Guinea. This river is wide, deep and brownish:- actually the biggest and longest in the Province. There are lots of fish in that river but not easy to catch. He roasted remainder of only few local potatoes he had in the ashes to use as baits on his hook.

He set out early in the morning’s dawn and selected a spot where he thinks is where fish will easily take his bait. He threw the stringed and baited hook into the brownish river, and in all his undertaken throws and waits; his baits were taken by fish without fish itself ensnared onto the sharp hook. Sometimes, the unseen fish in the river had to sway the string ferociously in all directions, but when pulled, nothing heavy is felt in his hopeful hand whilst his bait is gone from the tip of the hook. After all, he realizes the potatoes in his bag are all used up and his stomach achy and hungry and the dusk befall on his eyes.

The rate of charming the baits and the hilarious movements of string by the unseen fish in the big, wide, and unclear river made the man to have high hope in catching something big for his dinner but nothing caught that day until his eyes see the string no more. The day to look for other food is wasted and the pieces of sweet potatoes he had are all wasted! When the night came, he slept with hunger and regret for the wastage, only to wake up another day at the same time to look for food and declare war with the fish that took out all his baits. Only if he could fast-forward the time to next day would he use his last energy!

Now, the corruption we have in the country undertakes in many forms but one big aspect of it is BRIBERY. When you try to bribe into a system to get something in your favor, you are already throwing your bait into the systematized river of corruption without knowing the size of your catch as favor or how soon to receive it.

Bribery is normally done secretly, thus is illegal and unbounded deals in which agreements are only in the concealment of the minds. Just like unseen fish in the river making a big splash and extravagant movements of strings, it will give you fake hope to buy more time and for you to waste what you have. And its persuasive tongues of the conniving system will indulge you into paying more and more until you run dry. The more and more you believe in their con tactics, the more you will give and finally you will realize you have gone too far to the brink of bankruptcy.

The election petitioners in Papua New Guinea have been conned big time by all systems of government in Papua New Guinea. The systematized rivers of corruption may in this case be Electoral Commission officials, Judiciary Systems, Lawyers, Witnesses, Politicians, Media Outlets, supporters, etc. and etc. who may wobble the petitioners’ strings excitedly and make persuasive splashes on their systematized river of corruption to make the petitioners anticipate their catch to be just there for easier and swift seizure.

If petitioners have involved in bribery to win in court, they will find that they a fighting the losing battle at the end only to realize that they have unexploited their time, resources and energy that could have been utilized during five (5) years to prepare for next election.

My Best wishes to incumbent Hela Governor Ajai Petai Nakai Tia Igini (Hon. Governor-Philip Aja Undialu) and petitioner Hali Hogawi Tinawi Tiri Igini (Mr. Francis Mulungu Potabe) in your court battles in Waigani. Hela people and your supporters are aware of how ferocious battle you are fighting at the corridors of Waigani court houses and under the tables in the Hotels in NCD.

Picture: (L-R)-Francis Potabe & Philip Undialu

At the end when all is done and dusted, remember this post which is and will be kept or posted in this durable Hela Political Forum (Original). At least you are informed by a good citizen.

HELA TERTIARY STUDENTS SCHOOL FEE ASSISTANCE SCHEME TO BE TIED TO COFFEE TREES

Photo: Courtesy of Patrick and Kellies Melson

Governor for Hela Province, Hon. Philip Undialu announced today that his government intends to increase the School Fees for 2020, 2021 and 2022 to K10m from K6m piloted out in 2018 and 2019 that benefited over 2500 students throughout PNG and abroad.

With the increase from K6m per year to K10m for 2020, 2021 and 2022, [Hela ] Provincial Government will invest over K42m in direct cash support towards education of our future generation.

One of the challenges we faced was identifying genuine Hela students. We know that many fake people benefited. We have also left out some genuine ones. This time we want to do it better by tying students with coffee planting initiative not only to identify genuine students but also to sustain in the future.


Free handout mentality is killing our society these days.

"My office is full of yellow envelopes asking for money. I see that our people are hardworking but free handout is making them lazy. I must now ask them to grow coffee so after 2022, if am not returned as Governor, coffee will sustain you", said governor Undialu.

 

Growing minimum of 2, 500 coffee trees will be requirement for every student to receive funding support from us. If you don't grow coffee means you don't have land in Hela. That means, you pretend be be Hela. We will not tolerate your application not just in 2020 but will continue to 2021 and 2022.

Governor Undialu therefore, issued early notice to all Hela Students to return home or organise with your parents or uncles to grow minimum of 2500 coffee trees. School fee voucher will be issued against actual coffee trees planted on the ground.

Coffee growing effort will kick start with the listed 2500 students, 270 ward Councillors and 500 public servants in the province. The 14 LLG Presidents and their LLG Managers will be asked to establish 14 nurseries assisted by our DIP officers and CIS.

So in total we already have 3270 individuals to start with. If each one grows 2500 trees, we expect to grow over 8 million trees.

Total household in Hela (2011 National Census) is almost 70, 000. Each household or family unit should grow coffee to sustain themselves not only for school fees but daily needs.

If Hela can help develop many plantations in the country, we can do it for ourselves. We have huge landmass sitting idle. We have people floating around the cities and sitting, gambling, etc in towns or streets. We have 65% of our 350, 000 of our population under youth category. Many of those never had opportunity to education. But the plain truth is, you don't need a degree qualification to grow coffee.

The Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC) will be invited to assist. Later, our partners (LR Group), ExxonMobil and MRDC will join to grow more coffee, establish processing facilities and marketing.

HUEF Coordinator David Liyago will start registering students or their parents who wants to participate. Our DPI officers headed by Geoffery Walabi will liaise with CIC. Presidents, Ward Councillors, Public Servants, Students and their parents should lead by example.

Finally, to Hela people, Oil and Gas will be gone tomorrow. Coffee and Education will sustain our life and our province. I urge everyone to dirty your hands to grow clean money.

Thank you.

Approved for release by Governor Philip Aja Undialu