K52.9m recovered from students loans

GOVERNMENT has recovered about K52.9 million from the student loans from 2018 to January 2020, Minister of Higher Education Brian Mushimba has said.

Dr Mushimba said the money was recovered from the students who benefitted from the loan scheme from 2004.

He said that the recovered funds had been used to sponsor about 1,432 students in various higher learning institutions.

Dr Mushimba said this when he issued a ministerial statement in Parliament yesterday.

“A total of about K49.5 million was recovered from the government payroll and about K3.4 million was recovered from the private sector.

It is worth noting that some of the recoveries from the private sector were actually from the individuals who have come forward on their own to pay off the loans, for this I want to recognise and thank these individuals for their patriotism for taking personal responsibility in paying back.

“My ministry,” Dr Mushimba said, “was scaling up efforts to ensure that the Higher Education and Scholarship board extend its coverage in order for many people to access the loans.

He said the Government had committed itself to ensure all citizens were given a chance to access quality education and equip themselves for the new knowledge base economy of today.

Dr Mushimba however said those who accessed the loans and failed to pay would be dealt with.

It is a must that all those who acquired the loans pay back because it is the revolving fund which needed to be used to support those who want to access education at various higher learning institutions, Dr Mushimba said.

Dr Mushimba said those who accessed the loans and were unable to pay because they were not employed had an opportunity to explain themselves to the Higher Education and Scholarship board.

He said that failure to do so Government would be left with no option but necessary action against them.