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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
Nassau, Bahamas - In 2014, the PLP government moved a resolution to borrow 16.1 million dollars from the Caribbean Development Bank to cover land acquisition and external works known as Phase One of the College’s transition to university. The difference between a college and a university can be slightly confusing for some but it must be noted that the differences between these two institutions do not lie within its structural form but rather the amount of content, that being undergraduate and graduate programs along with research opportunities that are available to students. The external appearance of an institution does not determine whether or not it is a University even though the government would like us all to believe this. As it stands, currently the College of the Bahamas has more than thirty undergraduate programs and about ten Master programs that are available to qualified students.
That being said, the College of the Bahamas has achieved, in part, university status which in all honesty, has placed the College in a very good position. This transition should realistically be smooth due to limited academic modifications needed. It certainly should not take more than a decade to even change the name of the College but unfortunately, this is not the case. In 2002, the PLP administration promised the public that the College would become a University by 2007—this goal was not fully attained. In 2012, during the PLP’s campaign, they touted that they—unlike their political opponent at the time—would ensure that the College would become a University by 2015 despite past failure to do just that. As we all have come to realize, we are halfway done with 2016, and the College of the Bahamas has yet to become a University—not even in name. Although being in possession of most of the criteria needed to achieve this, the College has, once again, been placed on hold while its students sit in a perpetual state of uncertainty of whether fees will receive another spike. And now, with a cancelled 16.1 million dollar loan from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), we have so many more questions but have received very little answers.
It is of no surprise that the country does not have enough liquidity or credit to fully fund the College’s multimillion dollar transition. Once again, let it be noted that external differences are not necessary for the College of the Bahamas to become a university. However, it has come to the surprise of many—especially that of students—that a 16.1 million dollar loan even existed.
For clarification, the CDB had agreed to lend the government this money to further support the College’s Phase One transition to university but on an undisclosed date decided to cancel such agreement. When pressed for more information, the Minister of Education, Minister Jerome Fitzgerald forwarded all questions to State Minister of Finance Mr. Halkitis. If the Minister of Education could not supply more information about this 16.1 million dollar loan from the CDB, one has to wonder what else the Minister of Education cannot supply more information on. For example, when would he tell the public of this 16.1 million dollar loan, seeing that the tax payer’s dollars would ultimately pay back this loan? Or even, why was so much money needed at this point in time for only phase one of the project when the College has already achieved the majority of critical items needed in order to achieve university status? Is it possible that the same Minister Fitzgerald that stood proudly with the College Secretariat whom is in charge of mapping the road of transition knew very little about this loan? His silence is cause for concern.
Not to mention, the State Minister of Finance’s declined to comment. Newspapers and other media outlets supposedly got the “run around” treatment which further proved that the current administration’s lack of leadership and clear apathy for the freedom and accessibility of information. Let’s just be clear: 16.1 million dollars is quite a sum of money and such a loan should not only be made known to the public prior to agreeing to such a commitment but should also be discussed thoroughly with the student body as ultimately fees would eventually increase in order to pay back said loan.
In 2014, The Minister State for finance, Mr. Michael Halkitis told his fellow Parliamentarians that the interest rate would be at 4.1 percent and that the government would pay the remaining thirty percent which would equate to $7,020,000.00. It truly is no wonder that the CDB cancelled the loan for the government has proven time and time again that they have poor money management skills and that all financial crises present in the Bahamas could be solved either through another loan from international entities or through “gifts” from a particular Asian country.
Let’s take a moment to ponder on the whereabouts of the culmination of VAT monies. Why hasn’t VAT monies been re-invested in our only national college even if only to provide better chairs for students or to remove the mold that is present in certain buildings on the campus? Or even, since students pay an annual Capital Development fee, why hasn’t the government enforce standards for the campus that would improve the current ease of access of information including a reliable wireless network that does not work for half of the campus? Is it possible that the government does not believe that the College is not worth the investment, or rather government spending needed to increase even if the education budget must decrease with each year? When will the government make the youth of this nation a priority and do everything in their power to ensure that students of COB receive an education in conditions that are at least pleasant every day?
The current PLP government truly gave the CDB a plethora of reasons to cancel this loan however they stated that the poor auditing practices of the College and their failure to complete such audits has discourage them to loan the funds previously agreed upon. Is it not the responsibility of the Ministry of Education to ensure that the College always acts in accordance to international tertiary standards? Perhaps if Mr. Fitzgerald showed more concern about the day to day issues that plague the College, instances like missed audits and money laundering would not go unnoticed for so long.
The students of the College of the Bahamas deserve honesty and they deserve reliability. A DNA government would recognize that focusing on the superficial aspects of the campus, while important, are not pertinent to the College becoming a University and would complete all accreditation and other measures needed to once and for all transition the College into a University. After which, other measures that are necessary and easy to implement, that being complete eradication of rodents that infest the campus, a more accessible and easy to understand online platform for students and an upgraded, reliable internet connection that can reach all ends of the campus, along with other initiatives will be completed expeditiously. Afterwards, other more complicated and expensive tasks would be conducted over a period of time all the while limiting the amount of money borrowed from outside entities.
As Young Democrats, we understand these issues first hand and relay these experiences along with our suggestions to the DNA leadership whom listen with a careful ear. We will continue to push for the government to stop fooling the public into believing that a university requires physical changes in order to be considered accredited.
Anycia Collie
DNA Young Democrat
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