Chairman of PUNM Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam at a press conference of the PUNB Biz Plan Challenge 2013 price-giving ceremony award at SSM Tower at Kuala Lumpur on April 14, 2014. FAIHAN GHANI/The Star.
KUALA LUMPUR: Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Bhd (PUNB) expects to disburse RM200mil in loans to about 400 entrepreneurs this year from RM195mil in 2016.
Its chairman, Tan Sri Mohd Ali Rustam said the funding this year would focus on, among others, small and medium enterprises in high-tech manufacturing, e-commerce and professional services such as medical, pharmacy and wholesaling.
“From our records, PUNB had approved RM2.5bil in financing for 6,194 bumiputra companies from 1992 until Feb 28 this year.
“During the period, 783 entrepreneurs were nurtured under PUNB’s SME scheme, involving 307 companies with financing amounting to RM853mil,” he told reporters at the launch of Hijrah Aluminium Sdn Bhd (ASB) in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.
Besides the SME scheme, PUNB also provides various Prosper schemes, namely Prosper Pemborong (wholesale), Prosper Runcit (retail), Prosper Teras (core), and Prosper Usahawan Muda (young entrepreneurs).
PUNB provides financing up to RM5mil at an interest of 4% for Prosper Usahawan Muda and 5% for the other schemes.
Ali Rustam said during the period, PUNB also approved RM775.8mil in loans under the Prosper Pemborong scheme, Prosper Runcit (RM731.84mil), Prosper Teras (RM193.40mil), and Prosper Usahawan Muda (RM75.07mil).
As some of the companies assisted by PUNB were affected by the economic uncertainties and weakening ringgit, he said PUNB was monitoring their performance and if necessary would help restructure their loan repayment to enable them to remain competitive.
For the time being, the level of non-performing loans is still manageable, he said. - Bernama
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