The University of the South Pacific (USP) is not the only institution that provides tertiary qualification or education facilities in Fiji.

Government funds various other tertiary institutions in the National Budget such as the Fiji National University (FNU), University of Fiji (UniFiji), Corpus Christi College, Monfort Boys Town, and Sangam College among others.

Attorney-General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum clarified this in Parliament on Friday adding that Opposition MPs are trying to turn the USP grant issue into a political issue.

“We have always stated that if these allegations are investigated by an independent organisation or entity and they come out with the results we’re quite happy to give the grant,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.

“They talk about good governance in the same breath. We want good governance. We want proper accountability.”

The Fijian Government, he said, was the largest grant giver to USP with more than $30million funding at one stage.

“The next enormous grant giver was $2m, I think Solomon Islands, $32m, $2m, some of them give a few hundred thousand dollars,” he said.

“And also we have the largest number of students there all of whom are funded through TELS, Toppers or private funding.

“That is the fact of the matter. So please don’t try and turn this into a political issue which they have done.

Biman Prasad as the Prime Minister has mentioned already is conflicted. It’s an open secret.”

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