Most PTPTN borrowers willing to repay loan minus admin charges, says PKR
More National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) borrowers would start repaying their loans if the administration charges or interest rates were to be scrapped, said PKR.
Its strategic director Rafizi Ramli (pic) said based on an online survey conducted by the party involving 1,053 people, 41% respondents wanted PTPTN to be abolished while 42% wanted to see an end to the charges.
"Based on this, we believe the next step is to have a campaign to demand for a termination of PTPTN loan administrative costs," he said at a press conference at the PKR headquarters today.
He said that RM800 million a year was enough to remove such charges and this will help more borrowers to come forward and repay their loans.
He said the party is also talking to other PTPTN activists to set up an organisation to take care of the plight of the borrowers.
"It will be free of politics and their views will be very important to resolve this problem," he said, adding that Communications director Nik Nazmi Ahmad has been tasked to represent the party to approach the activists.
PTPTN has approved education loans to 2.2 million students since July 1, 1997, which amounted to RM49.9 billion.
A recent plan to link PTPTN's list of defaulters to the Central Credit Reference Information System (CCRIS), Bank Negara's computerised database system used by banks to assess prospective borrowers' financial profile, faced much outcry from the opposition, non-governmental organisations and students.
This led Putrajaya to halt the move and instead, PTPTN announced that it will take a "friendly approach" to deal with over 400,000 graduates who defaulted on their loans. - September 3, 2013.
