«Fees» raise the price of meals at the University of Sharjah

The decision of the University of Sharjah's administration to collect fees for the entrance of restaurants to its campus raised different reactions among students and restaurant owners, although the administration confirmed that the funds would be deposited in the Student Assistance Fund. (Students). The students said that the high fees prevent them from providing them with financial options (the daily expense), demanding that the administration open the door to more restaurants and cafeterias, ensuring that they have a larger menu and options T in the type and price.

According to restaurant owners and cafeterias, the university administration charges an annual fee of up to AED 8,000 for meals to the university, "a large sum compared to the profits of cafeterias, especially small ones."

The University responded that the goal of the fees is to ensure healthy meals for its students, pointing out that it is a non-profit educational institution.

Abdullah Hassan Issa, the owner of a cafeteria in Sharjah, said that he receives dozens of applications daily to prepare and deliver meals to the housing of students at the University of Sharjah, but he is not able to do so because of the high annual fees imposed by the university administration on restaurants Within the university.

He explained that «the fees are not commensurate with the financial profit received by restaurants, especially small ones», pointing out that «the majority - especially those close to the university - lose customers during the seasonal holidays, and does not achieve sufficient return to pay the rent of the shop, which requires a double effort To achieve a profit rate to compensate for the loss in periods of university activity », and called on the management of the University of Sharjah to allocate a small fee to the owners of restaurants in exchange for allowing them to deliver applications to the boarding of students.

Abdullah Al-Ghani, the owner of a restaurant in Al-Mandi in Sharjah, confirmed that "the fees imposed by the university on restaurants in exchange for allowing them to deliver meals to students, which is like a passport, are a financial burden for restaurant owners." He said: "We have received many contacts from the students of residential housing at the university, but we can not connect them because of the lack of (our), which is an obstacle to the development of national projects, especially restaurants that provide healthy meals at affordable prices.

"As a result of our almost permanent presence in the housing units, we have to order meals from restaurants, but the limited availability of options makes us have to order the available ones, although most of them offer meals," explained student Asilah Abdulrahman, a Gulf national and resident of the university's boarding school. At high prices that are not commensurate with the student's expenses, especially those living in housing. "

She pointed out the importance of allowing small cafeterias to connect to the housing, to create a kind of competition between restaurants, which contributes to the improvement of meals and review the prices, asserting that the meals of large restaurants, which cost one to 45 dirhams, consisting of «Burger» and «Potato Fried "and a soft drink, while the price of fresh juice average size to 40 dirhams, which is an additional burden on the student and his family is added to the other expenses relating to tuition fees, housing and transportation.

Radwa al-Maliki, a student at the University of Sharjah, said that some resident students have to prepare their meals in the kitchens attached to their rooms to provide the price of the meal they require from restaurants, which exceeds the capacity of the student who takes money from his parents.

"When we called some restaurants that are known for the quality of their meals and at the right prices to order a meal, we were surprised by the refusal of employees to be rejected because they were not allowed to enter the university due to lack of participation."

On the other hand, the Deputy Director of the University of Sharjah for public relations, Majid Mohammed Al-Jarwan, said that the imposition of fees on restaurants to enter the campus of the University of Sharjah comes within the policy of the University for a number of reasons, namely the selective selection of restaurants that meet the required health standards, to ensure the quality of food provided to residents within The campus is a non-profit educational institution, and therefore the amounts collected for the entry of the selected restaurants are fully deposited in the Student Assistance Fund.

Al Jarwan added that these items are a kind of security discipline for the entry and exit of restaurants through the identification of restaurants entering the campus, as well as to ensure the granting of a franchise for restaurants contracted with the University administration located on campus, and meet the required health conditions.

• University: Collected funds are deposited in Student Assistance Fund.

• AED 45 for a meal consisting of Burger, French fries and a soft drink.