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Rais Samia awaongeza ‘boom’ wanafunzi vyuo vikuu Dar es Salaam. President Samia Suluhu Hassan has approved the request of the leaders of the Federation of Students of Tanzania Higher Education Institutions (Tahliso) to increase the subsistence allowance from Sh8,500 per day to Sh10,000. However, he said that Tahliso’s request to provide loans to certificate and diploma level students will not be possible at the moment, however they will go ahead and make plans to implement it in the future. Today Saturday, February 11, 2023 at the State House in Dodoma, President Samia has met with the leaders of Tahliso and Zahlife on the Zanzibar side where he has given them the opportunity to ask questions and talk to them about various matters concerning them.
In the meeting, the President of Tahliso, Frank Nkinda has presented their requests to President Samia so that he can help students in this country to face the rising cost of living. One of the requests submitted by Nkinda includes an increase in the amount of subsistence funds given by the government to students per day from the current Sh8,500 to Sh10,000 because life has increased. “Currently, we earn 8500 per day as a means of subsistence, but Mr. President, the standard of living has increased at the moment and it does not match the amount we earn. We ask that this amount be at least Sh10,000 per piece or an amount that pleases you,” said Nkinda. In addition, Nkinda said that according to the current laws, students who study certificate and diploma level courses are not beneficiaries of higher education loans, so he asked President Samia to help them so that they can benefit from the loans.
“We are asking you very much, if it pleases you Mr. President, as you see fit, for the new financial year of 2023/24, help us these certificate and diploma level students to be the beneficiaries of higher education loans,” said the leader of Tahliso. In addition to these requests, Nkinda also in his speech, has asked President Samia to get an office that will enable them to run their daily activities.
Also, he has asked them to get a car that will help them in their daily activities. Responding to the arguments of the government leaders of the college students, President Samia granted their request and increased their living expenses to Sh10,000 per day to enable them to afford their daily life while in college. “Minister of Education, go and see, we will start with Sh10,000,” said President Samia, a statement that brought joy to the leaders who started singing “we have faith in Samia” while clapping. However, President Samia did not explain when it will be implemented.
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Regarding certificate and diploma level students to get the loans, President Samia has said that this will not be possible at the moment, they are going to organize themselves and make plans to implement it in the future. “With the work we are doing right now and the state of the budget, we have not yet reached that point, so we are thinking about it, we are putting it in our plans. “I was whispering to the Minister (of education) here, I told him to go and search for himself well, if you can, tell me, and I will search for a little bit more so that you can… if we fail this year, let us plan ahead and we will go with it,” said President Samia. Regarding the issue of Tahliso being assisted by the office, President Samia has given instructions to the Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Professor Adolf Mkenda that if his ministry moves to the government town of Mtumba, then leave the buildings they are currently using to Tahliso.
He has added that he is going to look into the possibility of providing furniture and other office equipment to Tahliso and Zahlife to help them run their daily activities in those institutions. Initially, Professor Mkenda said when President Samia came into power, the loans being given was Sh464 billion but he ordered it to be increased to Sh570 and later it reached Sh654 billion. Minister Mkenda has said that President Samia directed the Ministry of Education to provide science scholarships to students who do well. He said so far 640 students have received the scholarship in the country.
“There are scholarships also given for university lecturers. While discussing the HIT project, you instructed to build the capacity of lecturers by educating more lecturers. Funds have been allocated for lecturers to study anywhere in the world, we have 1 million dollars,” he said.
