Funding for UG is “first and foremost” – Granger

By Jomo Paul

[www.inewsguyana.com] – Presidential Candidate for A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC), David Granger says the primary focus of the coalition would be to provide the necessary funding to the University of Guyana to (UG) in order to bring it up to standard, should they be elected to government come May 11.

Granger made the comment at a recent Guyana National Youth Council (GNYC) and Guyana Women’s Roundtable (GWR) forum while responding to a question posed by Elsie Ross, the student Representative on UG’s Council.

Ross’ question was related to the politicization of the University’s council and the lack of adequate student representation coupled with the need for adequate funding.

According to the Presidential Candidate, the major issue affecting the proper functioning of the University is the dire need for adequate funding to operate at optimum on a daily basis.

“The big problem is funding…it is not necessarily political partisanship first…the big problem is finances and UG probably needs about four times what it is getting from the government. I think if we can build a first star hotel we can build a five star university and this is where our priorities must lay,” Granger posited.

Granger said that the issue of the politicization of the University’s council is something that has to be dealt with but the initial thrust should be directed at infrastructure.

“We have to provide at least physical infrastructure. We have to fix the libraries, we have to fix the laboratories; we have to fix the lavatories, we have to fix the whole campus…so we do need money first and foremost…As far as the other problem is concerned – the political control that can be dealt with,” he said.

The local Private Sector Bodies have expressed hope that the new government following the May 11elections will “de-politicize” the University and instead see it as a “center for innovation” that will move in the direction of adapting a market model tertiary institution.

Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Ramesh Persaud had said “we charge the market rate but the subsidies through student aid and government support can go through the student for the services that they are paying for rather than directly to the university administration, so a lot can be done to resource the institution.”

He believes that the university itself could be a major center that can transform Guyana. According to Persaud, if the next government is serious about moving to a service industry, building its human capital is critical in this regard, adding that more investments are needed if the University is to undergo a transformation to the benefit of all Guyanese.