SHAH ALAM, 8 Apr: A total of 5,767 participants have received their payment of the Urban Micro-credit Financing Programme (MiMBAR) while 3,480 are currently in the process of loan repayment.
The Executive Councillor in charge of Welfare, Rodziah Ismail, said that from the total, 23 percent of borrowers have managed to increase their income, thus achieving the policy target from welfare to income.
“Out of this percentage, 811 have increased their income.
“If they were earning about RM700 previously, now some have reached RM3,000 to RM5,000 in net income,” she said during the Selangor State Assembly (DNS) session.
For example, a vendor selling cakes and bread, Arbaiyah Ahmad, who borrowed RM1,500 has now been able to gain a net income of RM5,000 per month.
Not just that, but she also owns her own business premises and is in the process of adding to her machines and equipment.
Rodziah said that MiMBAR funding has never been frozen and after the 13th General Election (GE13), this programme improved to provide more benefits to borrowers.
“The programme, with a ‘one-off’ provision worth RM20 million has entered its 49th phase, which began in January 2014, with an increase of 145 new participants since the GE13.
In order to collect repayment, the Batu Tiga Assemblywoman explained that MiMBAR officers, with cooperation of village chiefs and mosque leaders, will conduct fieldwork to investigate and personally meet with borrowers.
It is to find out the difficulties encountered, causing them to fail in making repayment.
In addition, counselling services are provided and a reminder letter is sent to borrowers who fail to make repayments.
MiMBAR also conducts rescheduling for repayments that should be completed in 18 months for borrowers and extend the repayment period to those with problems.
