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Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation
2016-08-16Staff Report 2 Query: The Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF), it is not my fault that I do not have a bank account in which you can deposit my refund. I have a full birth certificate, but the personnel at the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration always send me back, saying I took too long to apply for an ID card. I am a student and struggle with funds. It will be better if you allow me to get the bank account details of my uncle and bank statements. You can then deposit my refund there. - Concerned NUST student Response: Dear NSFAF student, we would like to share with you and the rest of our students that since the beginning of this year NSFAF has introduced its own NSFAF payment card. NSFAF is no longer requesting students to provide NSFAF with their individual bank details, but rather uses the NSFAF payment card to deposit all students’ related payments through this card. Unfortunately, NSFAF, when issuing its NSFAF card, has to conform to certain banking requirements and it is thus critical that before the issuing of any bankcard, beneficiaries have to provide their identity documents for verification purposes. The concerned student is advised to approach NSFAF for assistance. Query: How do students obtain their NSFAF payment card? Response: Depending on where our students find themselves, NSFAF has three main methods whereby payment cards can be issued at the following places: (1) during the registration period at their respective institutions of higher learning; (2) during the year at any Nammic offices countrywide, or (3) via their mobile devices. The NSFAF communicated to loan beneficiaries that it is also easy to open an NSFAF account by following the menu prompts when dialing *140*575#. Once the NSFAF account has been opened students must request their NSFAF card through Nammic offices, using their account number as reference. Query: Dear President, please call your minister of higher education to task. Why has NUST been operating for nearly seven months without a council? Why get rid of the previous council if a new council could not be elected? Another interesting observation is that the staff representative on the council was never elected by the staff, as set out in the NUST Act. Response: Minister of Higher Education, Training and Innovation Dr Itah Kandjii-Murangi officially announced the appointment of the University of Science and Technology (NUST) council members on August 3, 2016. The council members of the newly established Namibia University of Science and Technology will serve for a period of three years, as prescribed in Section 10(1)(a) of the Namibia University of Science and Technology Act and in terms of Section 7. The Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation would like to inform the public that the delay in the appointment of the NUST Council was due to extensive consultation required for the transformation of the Polytechnic of Namibia into the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST). The function of the new-created entity is much broader than the former polytechnic. Query: Ministry of Education, what is the problem between NSFAF and Okakarara Vocational Training Centre? Only some of the general electrical Level 3 trainees were refunded. What about the rest who have been told to wait since last year? Does this suggest our parents are rich enough to feed the NTA or OVTC? Response: The Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation and the Namibia Training Authority (NTA) investigated the matter and found that 12 electrical general trainees at OVTC assessed on Level 2 last year were found “not competent”. As such, those trainees were not eligible for further financial assistance, as per the NSFAF’s requirements. This matter has since been successfully addressed. The Minister of Higher Education, Training and Innovation would like to inform the public that all VTC students are funded by Namibia Students Financial Assistant Fund (NSFAF), which pays funds directly to the respective VTCs. The ministry is thus encouraging all concerned students to consult their respective VTCs to inquire about their payment from NSFAF. Query: NSFAF, your new system is working against some students. How come only some students get relief money, some even twice? What about us who did not get anything at all? You told us to wait until the end of March and now we are at the end of May. The wait has been very long. Minister of Higher Education, we need your help. - Fed-up UNAM student Response: The Minister of Higher Education, Training and Innovation would like to inform all concerned students that the NSFAF initially offered to assist students with an amount of N$3 000 as a relief fee, which would be deducted from the students’ non–tuition fee portion. The process of paying students their non-tuition fees has started and it was envisaged that the process would continue during the month of June. All students who have not received their non-tuition fees yet will receive it in due course. The minister would like to inform all students that the NSFAF has had a number of engagements with institutions of higher learning to resolve the matter. 2016-08-16Staff Report 2
