Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MOHERST) needs at least D50 million to settle outstanding student support obligations, including delayed stipends for Gambian students studying abroad and unpaid dues owed to local higher education institutions, Minister Professor Pierre Gomez has disclosed.
Speaking on Coffee Time with Peter Gomez on West Coast Radio on Monday, the minister said the funds are needed to clear arrears affecting both international scholarship beneficiaries and tertiary institutions within The Gambia.
“Right now, we need a minimum of D50 million,” Professor Gomez said.
He explained that the money would go toward settling outstanding stipends for Gambian students studying overseas, as well as financial obligations owed to institutions such as the University of The Gambia (UTG), the University of Applied Science, Engineering, and Technology (USET), the Civil Service University (CSU), and other scholarship commitments.
According to the minister, the Ministry of Finance has already made a budgetary allocation for the funds, but MOHERST has yet to access them due to what he described as a technical budget issue.
“The allocation is done by the Ministry of Finance. The only problem is the technical issue. On paper, we have the funds, but in reality, we cannot have access to them,” he said.
To resolve the impasse, Professor Gomez said MOHERST, the Ministry of Finance, and the Office of the President are expected to hold a tripartite meeting aimed at facilitating the release of the funds.
The minister acknowledged that the delays have placed considerable strain on Gambian students studying abroad, many of whom depend on their stipends to cover accommodation, food, transportation, and other living expenses.
He said the ministry has already completed the necessary administrative processes and is ready to disburse the funds as soon as they become available.
“If we get the money today, today we press the button,” he said.
Professor Gomez also explained that scholarship payments follow a standard formula designed to ensure equal treatment for all eligible students. Under the current policy, undergraduate students receive US$300 per month, master’s students US$500, and PhD students US$850, irrespective of their country of study.
Despite the delays, the minister assured students that the government remains committed to fulfilling its scholarship obligations in full.
“All the commitments of the Government of The Gambia will be respected. We will pay once we receive the funds,” he said.
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