By Samuel
Ndoni
Mbeya. The "Fichua" campaign
has identified 169 individuals who benefited from higher education loans but
have yet to begin repayment, despite being employed in the private sector.
Launched
on June 28, 2024, by the Higher Education Students' Loans Board (HESLB), the
campaign encourages citizens to use mobile phones and social media to expose
defaulters of higher education loans. The campaign is set to run for two
months.
During a
visit to the Mbeya University of Science and Technology (MUST), Teofilo Kisanji
University (TEKU), and the Catholic University of Mbeya (CUoM), HESLB Executive
Director Dr. Bill Kiwia provided an update on the campaign. The visit aimed to
introduce the board and gather feedback on the loans provided.
Dr. Kiwia
stressed that the repayment of loans by beneficiaries is crucial to improving
the efficiency of loan disbursement. This necessity prompted the board to
initiate the "Fichua" campaign to identify employed individuals who
have failed to repay their loans. "We will pursue each person identified.
The outstanding debt exceeds TZS 1.4 billion," he stated.
He also
warned that legal action would be taken against private sector employers who
fail to remit 15% of the salaries of employees who are loan beneficiaries. He
urged employers to submit a list of their employees who are loan beneficiaries
to ensure proper follow-up.
Commenting
on the board's visits to universities, Dr. Kiwia said the objective was to meet
and discuss strategies to address challenges and enhance the efficiency of loan
disbursement to all eligible students, in line with the board's guidelines.
Professor
Godliving Mtui, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic, Research, and
Consultancy) of MUST, noted that out of 11,000 students, 7,600 are benefiting
from the loan program.
