FEES COMMISSION
State urged to sell assets to fund free education
Heads of Parliament’s portfolio committee on higher education say government should consider selling nonstrategic assets
The government should consider selling nonstrategic assets to fund free higher education. This was recommended by the heads of Parliament’s portfolio committee on higher education, the standing committee on appropriations and the standing committee on finance in a joint presentation to the fees commission on Monday. Chaired by Judge Arthur Heher, the commission is in its final week of submissions and the finalised arguments will be submitted to the president in May for his consideration. While the proposal to the commission did not outline which assets could potentially be sold off, the committee chairs said the country needed innovative solutions to solve the higher education crisis. Yvonne Phosa, chairwoman of the standing committee on appropriations, said that without original ideas, funds would have to be taken from other departments to finance free higher education. She said the reprioritisation of the national budget to fund higher education would start wars among departments ...
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