PTPTN collects RM12.13 billion as of September

KUALA LUMPUR: Since the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) started operations it has collected RM12.13 billion in loan repayments as of September this year.

Its chairman Datuk Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said the amount was collected following efforts conducted to boost awareness among borrowers to repay their loans.

“We will target those who are poor paymasters to ensure they pay back their loans because we need the money to help new students,” he told Bernama after appearing as a guest on the Nine 11 programme broadcast by Bernama News Channel (BNC), at Wisma Bernama yesterday.

Shamsul Anuar said the repayment collected would reduce PTPTN’s dependence on other financial institutions in the effort to provide funds to new students entering public and private high institutions of learning in the country.

To date, he said PTPTN had given loans to more than two million students nationwide, including to those who were still studying at universities.

Shamsul Anuar said that, with the numerous incentives introduced in the 2017 Budget, borrowers still had up to December 31 to make repayments.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, when tabling the 2017 Budget on October 21 last year, announced that the government agreed to give a discount incentive effective October 22 until the end of this year to encourage repayments.