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-- More Public
Officers Get Study Leave With Pay.
Contact:
Earl Bousquet
Thursday, September 2, 2004 - Prime Minister Dr Kenny D. Anthony has
welcomed the news that a total of 100 students are to benefit from the
Government’s Human Resource Development Credit Facility and more Public Officers
have been approved this year for Study Leave With Pay.
The Prime Minister was earlier this week informed by National Authorizing
Officer Wilfred Pierre that his agency, which handles the disbursement of
European Union funds in St. Lucia, had recently transferred a million dollars to
two local lending institutions for onward lending to students.
According to Mr Pierre, whose office is under the ministerial umbrella of the
Office of the Prime Minister, Government has made $750,000 available to the Bank
of St. Lucia and $250,000 to the St. Lucia Cooperative League to help students
pay the interest and security requirements of their loans.
The National Authorizing Officer says 57 persons will benefit from the facility
through the Bank of St. Lucia, of which 25 are for student loans for persons
going abroad to study in areas such as computers, tourism and management.
Another 32 will benefit from loans to improve skills in the health sector (such
as general nursing) and education.
Mr Pierre says 43 persons will benefit from the facility through the St. Lucia
Cooperative League, comprising 13 for student loans and 30 for skills
development.
To date, 22 members of the Teachers’ Credit Union have received Grant Funding
from the Government’s Credit Facility. In addition, five students undergoing
studies in Cuba are to receive assistance from the facility.
The Prime Minister, who is also Minister for Finance, says he is pleased that
the facility is being made use of by students and teachers alike and that the
lending institutions have been able to process the applications in quick time.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony has also indicated that a total of 46 Public
Servants have been approved for Study Leave With Pay for the current academic
year – the highest number in recent years.
Dr Anthony says that to date there are some 126 Public Officers abroad on Study
Leave With Pay, of which 40 are teachers.
He noted, however, that with every increase in the number of persons approved,
the cost to the public purse also increases. He explained that each public
officer studying abroad with pay had to be replaced at his or her post by
someone else, who must also be paid. In addition, the Government is also
required to pay economic costs for those studying at the University of the West
Indies (UWI).
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