Dean says government not covering university school expenses

It said that the schools chemistry, dentistry, pharmacy and machine engineering are in dire financial straits. School of Chemistry Dean Goran Roglic told the portal that the situation is bad for some schools but that his faces the worst debt problems at present. Roglic said that the Belgrade city communal services company has threatened to sue and that the authorities have promised to pay some of that debt. “That does not solve the problem. We have been promised that the prime minister will ask suppliers not to sue and not charge interest,” he said and added that the School of Chemistry owes more than 25 million Dinars (1 Euro – 117 Dinars), most of the debt for electricity and heating. The dean said that under the law, the debts should be covered in full by the government which should have paid for the first half of the year and is now saying the money will be paid to the end of the year.

Dean Roglic warned that the school building could be closed if the debt is not paid or that bailiffs could be sent in. The School of Chemistry shares the building with the Schools of physics, mining, mathematics, geography, biology and physical chemistry. Roglic said the deans of all those schools agree the building will have to be closed.

He said the government’s failure to cover the building expenses is part of a punishment policy over the student protests.