UNZA 100% FEES HIKE IRKS STATE

Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

….it was not done in consultation with the Government

By Simon Muntemba

GOVERNMENT has insisted that  it is disappointed by the University of Zambia’s (UNZA) decision to hike accommodation fees adding that it will not condone it.

The UNZA has increased accommodation fees for the 2017/2018 academic year from K1, 200 to K3, 900 representing a 100 per cent hike from last academic year and further hiked tuition fees by between 3,000 and 5,000 Kwacha across all programmes.

In an interview, Higher Education Minister Professor Nkandu Luo said her ministry will not support the hike in fees at Zambia’s highest learning institution as it was not done in consultation with her Ministry.

Professor Luo said there was no way there can be a sudden increment of more than 100 percent in fees and that government will not support such a move.

She explained that there were rules and regulations that should be followed whenever the university or an institution wishes to hike fees and one of the rules was to consult the ministry.

“As government, we will not support the University of Zambia’s move to increase accommodation fees because management did not consult my ministry as required by rules and regulations,

“Whenever the university or an institution wishes to hike fees one of the rules was to consult the ministry but the increment was not done in consultation with her Ministry,” She said