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House passes university students loans bill 

After a heated debate, Parliament yesterday passed the Higher Learning Education Students Loans and Grants Bill with several amendments, including removing a provision that empowered the president to appoint a board to administer the loans.

The bill seeks to formalise loan and grants government provides to various public and private university students. What remains now is for President Peter Mutharika to assent it into law.

Tried to convince opposition MPs: Kasaila
Tried to convince opposition MPs: Kasaila

In Section 5, on the composition of the board, the bill initially gave all appointing powers to the President, but the provision now makes the appointment subject to the confirmation by the Public Appointments Committee of Parliament.

Earlier, the House’s two sides argued heavily on the matter as the opposition refused to pass the bill unless the provision on the board’s appointment was amended.

Leader of the House Francis Kasaila tried to convince the opposition MPs to pass the bill without amendment, but   bulged when the MPs threatened to shoot it down.

Chairperson of the Education Committee of Parliament, opposition lawmaker Elias Chakwera, said in an interview the bill will ensure equitable access to education.

“From the word go, we have insisted that the bill touches on an important part of equitable distribution of education and we need a board which would be able to ensure that.

“The involvement of a representative body on the matter other than just one office will ensure such balance is achieved,” said Chakwera. n

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One Comment

  1. There is something fishy with the way DPP operates. The president has consistently stated that he wants the presidency to have less powers especially reducing the appointing powers and yet here we have the same executive proposing a bill that will give too much powers to the president? Isn’t it funny or there is some crookedness within the party?

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