NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Senator Ranard Eric Henfield says he made his final student loan payment to the Education Loan Authority more than a decade ago.
Henfield was named in a listing of delinquent accounts published by the ELA in a local daily today.
However, he told Eyewitness News Online he made his final payment in 2004.
“This is news to me,” he wrote in a text message.
“I’ll reach out to them to clarify if their records reflect my final payment back in 2004.”
Henfield said he could no longer remember the amount of the student loan he took out with the ELA.
The authority has been challenged with recouping debts since its inception in 2001, with successive administrations threatening legal action against delinquent loan holders.
Back in June, Minister of Education Jeffrey Lloyd announced the government’s intent to garnish the wages of public servants with outstanding debt.
He was making a contribution to debate on the 2019/2020 budget, and noted the authority was still owed $83 million in delinquent loans.
At the time, Lloyd lamented the stalled pace of repayments despite the authority’s “generous incentive program” that slashed debts up to 40 percent with no interest.
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