Government’s indebtedness to the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies now stands at around $200 million.
These arrears, disclosed to the DAILY NATION by a senior university source yesterday, represent economic costs, tuition fees and value added tax, which Government reportedly has not paid to the university “for the last seven to eight years”.
However, the source said the campus was still receiving monthly instalment payments of the annual allowance of around $96 million from Government, but suggested the outstanding debt continued to hamper the university’s ability to expand and meet growing demand.
Last year, when the debt was up to $190 million, Cave Hill Campus principal Professor Eudine Barriteau told a public forum it was “affecting the campus’ ability to meet basic operational requirements such as refurbishment of classrooms, laboratories and dormitories”, and was also “constraining the campus’ capacity to expand in ways that benefit the campus and the country”. (GC)
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