Sainiani Boila 
[File Photo]
The coalition government promises that it will never hold university grants back or hold its officials at ransom like the previous government.
While officiating at the opening of the University of Fiji’s Ba campus, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad says this was done by the previous government due to their political differences.
Professor Prasad says the coalition government values academic freedom.
He says all universities should be given the freedom and support they need to run their schools, and according to Professor Prasad, this is what the previous government lacked.
“Government will never hold back funding and hold universities and the management to ransom on political grounds and create an unjust situation where it’s going to be harmful for the university.”
Professor Prasad says universities are free to comment on the running of their institutions and the performance of their academic leaders and administrators for transparency.
“The universities freedom to criticize and participate in the policies of government. Innovation and entrepreneurship, new ideas come through debates and they come through criticism and they come through critical thinking and i want to congratulate the Sabha and the University for providing that environment for staff and students.”
The coalition government allocated a total of $103.3 million to tertiary institutions.
This includes $53.5 million to the University of the South Pacific, $43.4 million to the Fiji National University, and an increased grant of $2.8 million to the University of Fiji.
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