EDUCATION Minister Shaik Baksh has said his Ministry hopes to meet the increased Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) fees for both its subject entry and candidate fees this year.

So that the upward movement will not affect the disbursement of Government subsidy to eligible students, he has written the Ministry of Finance requesting an increase in the allocation for CXC payments.

Mr. Baksh said, if the request is met, the hike will not cause any hardship to Guyanese candidates.

Assistant Registrar, Mr. Cleveland Sam had previously pointed out that the CXC sought the raise from Ministries of Education across the region for meeting operational costs that have risen substantially over the years.

“So, basically, the increase is to make those costs level with our revenue, because we do not charge fees to make a profit,” he explained.

Sam said the CXC has had to treat with a 37 per cent rise in air fares, as well as a 25 per cent in hotel accommodation over the last three years, without increasing its charges since 2002.

“In addition, we have had to pay fees to all resource persons, moderators, chiefs and assistant chiefs and markers, who are brought in from 16 territories across the region,” he disclosed.

Sam said, although the fees have been hiked, they remain significantly lower than those for both the Cambridge and the Ed Excel which, in some instances, are 100 per cent more than CXC’s.