PMB Tijari targets RM150 mln financing for 150 entrepreneurs

KUALA LUMPUR: Pelaburan Mara Bhd (PMB) subsidiary PMB Tijari Bhd is targeting financing of RM150 million to help 150 entrepreneurs this year compared to RM210 million in financing last year.

PMB Tijari acting chief executive officer Norati Ibrahim said it had to reduce the target a bit this year as many entrepreneurs suffered from lack of projects and delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic last year.

“The pandemic had resulted in a shortage of projects and many delays, so we only managed to help a few entrepreneurs last year.

"As such this year we had to reduce the target a bit because we believe it will be post-pandemic in 2021, so the funding target this year is RM150 million covering 100 to 150 entrepreneurs," she said at the financing deal signing ceremony here yesterday.

She said since January this year, PMB Tijari had approved financing of RM40 million to 12 entrepreneurs, including the five entrepreneurs (RM18 million) who received financing yesterday.

She said all five companies yesterday are recipients of funding for the first time and PMB Tijari's goal is to help potential entrepreneurs get funding through the financial products offered up to a maximum of RM5 million each.

From September 2014 till now, PMB Tijari has funded almost 210 entrepreneurs from various sectors involving almost RM300 million.

She stressed that entrepreneurs who have the expertise, experience and abilities but are unable to obtain loans from banks or other financial institutions are the target group of PMB Tijari.

Meanwhile, Majlis Amanah Rakyat chairman Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun said the financial assistance approved to the five entrepreneurs today was support given to entrepreneurs to obtain financing.

"I hope PMB Tijari will be able to help more entrepreneurs because we want to see in the future more entrepreneurs rise in developing the country's economy as well as provide employment opportunities," she said. – Bernama