KUALA LUMPUR: An amount of RM240 million is expected to be collected yearly by the National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) from the mandatory deductions to civil servants that are PTPTN borrowers.

PTPTN chairman Datuk Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said he is relieved with the move announced by the Public Service Department (PSD) and hoped that the meeting that will be conducted this Friday between PSD and secretaries-general of all ministries will be fruitful.

“There are actually 280,000 civil servants that were PTPTN borrowers and from that number, 163,007 borrowers will be subjected to mandatory pay cuts. “We expected to collect an amount of 20 million a month from the deductions of salary.

“The target of collection was not met because until May, we have collected only RM6.6 billion which is only 46 per cent,” he said after a buka puasa event with Puteri Umno, undergraduates and orphans from Rumah Amal Budi Bistari.

Before this, we expected to collect an amount of RM800 billion a year from all the civil servant borrowers. Sazally also added to meet the target, there is a need to strengthen the enforcement and the campaign.

“Civil servants are only a handful from the number of borrowers and further discussions are needed with public agencies to solve the technicalities.

“According to our terms and conditions, five per cent will be deducted from the salary, however we will also take into consideration their affordability.

On Monday it was reported that PSD director-general Tan Sri Mohamad Zabidi Zainal said 480 PSD officers and staffs which are PTPTN borrowers have already been notified through official letter from the department.

It had said PTPTN will also consider their financial commitments and burdens. PTPTN borrowers under the civil service have also been identified and their names will be submitted officially to ministries’ secretary-general come Friday.

Each ministry will conduct a counselling session for borrowers under their ministry with PTPTN to discuss on the deduction.

-http://www.nst.com.my