St Lucia to host UWI Budget Meetings

[dropcap]U[/dropcap]niversity of the West Indies (UWI) is pleased to announce that the Government of Saint Lucia will host the annual meetings of the Technical Advisory Committees (TACs) to the Grants Committees of The University of the West Indies (UWI), at the Bay Gardens Hotel, Rodney Bay Village, on February 20-21, 2017.

These meetings examine the University’s biennium budgets for the period 2017/2018 and 2018/2019, and make recommendations to the Campus Grants Committees (CGCs). The CGCs, in turn —chaired by Ministers of Education or the Ministers responsible for tertiary education; and including other members appointed by the Governments of the campus countries (Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago)—review and approve the recommendations presented by the TACs, with their mandate being to evaluate the University’s budgetary proposals recommend to Governments the provision of the appropriate funding.

The University’s budgetary request to these committees covers the four campuses (Cave Hill, Mona, Open Campus and St. Augustine), the University’s Regional Headquarters (RHQ) and the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI). In preparing its annual budget, the University takes into consideration its developmental needs, particularly human resources services to be maintained, anticipated inflation rates, and the outlook of the economies of regional states.

It places critical importance on its financial efficiency and accountability, especially given the nature of its regional configuration with operations that span various regional governments, which have the responsibility to significantly fund the institution’s annual operations. In this regard, The UWI holds to the most rigorous processes for budgeting; resulting in the approval of annual funds for the operations of the regional institution. These yearly deliberations are testament to the highest standards of financial accountability adopted in The UWI’s stewardship of its business operations.

These meetings are rotated annually, and since 1998, have been hosted across 11 of the 17 UWI contributing countries. The Government of Saint Lucia successfully hosted the meetings in 2009 and the University is pleased to have its commitment as the 2017 host.

The 2017 edition of the meetings will commence with an Opening Session on Monday, February 20, 2017, which features The Honourable Dr. Gale T. C. Rigobert, Minister for Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development of Saint Lucia as the Keynote Speaker.

Participants at the two-day meetings will include Permanent Secretaries and senior officers from the Ministries responsible for Tertiary Education of The UWI’s 17 contributing countries; senior officers from the Ministries of Finance of the campus countries—Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago; and the Ministry of Health, Jamaica. Also, in attendance will be The UWI’s senior executive management team including the Vice-Chancellor, Principals, Pro Vice-Chancellors, University Bursar and University Registrar as well as the Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Campus Bursars and Campus Registrars; along with the senior management team of the UHWI.