Parag says close to 14,000 awarded GOAL scholarships, defends programme

Sonia Parag

Minister of Public Service Sonia Parag yesterday defended the government’s Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarship programme.

During the parliamentary debate on the 2023 budget, Parag said that since assuming office, the PPP/C government has implemented programmes and instituted policies that make a difference in Guyanese lives.

“While we continue to raise salaries incrementally, we are also focusing on making lives easier for all Guyanese across every sector; be it providing improved access to housing and water; or delivering increased opportunities for academic and skills development. Mr. Speaker, my realisation that the main Opposition is truly barefaced and conscienceless came after they started hurling criticisms at our scholarship policies, including GOAL, which continues to see thousands of Guyanese from every nook and cranny of this country benefiting from fully-funded opportunities to earn higher academic qualifications ranging from certificates, all the way to PhDs,” she added.