PHILIPSBURG--The amount of study financing repayment Government received from recipients in 2015 plummeted significantly after former Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs stopped the collection efforts.
Sitting Prime Minister and Deputy Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister William Marlin told Members of Parliament (MPs), during the continuation of the meeting of the Central Committee of Parliament on the draft 2016 budget on Tuesday, which students repaid NAf. 4,835.81 in 2013; NAf. 44,522.58 in 2014 and just NAf. 12,802.82 in 2015. Marlin was at the time responding to questions posed by MPs during the start of the Central Committee meeting on the draft budget on Monday.
It could not be ascertained why the collection efforts were stopped by the former Prime Minister and whether these efforts have since resumed.
The study financing students receive from government to pursue their tertiary studies are part financing and part loan. The loan part of the financing has to be repaid to government.
