To deduct loans from
guarantors salaries
In its bid to recover loans running to N 1.5 billion granted
the people of Ekiti State under the Small and Medium Enterprise Support Scheme
since the administration of Engr Segun Oni till date, the Ekiti State Government
has adopted a strategy that will facilitate a prompt and stress -free repayment
by the beneficiaries.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Micro-credit and
Enterprise Development Agency (MEDA), Otunba Kayode Fasawe said MEDA, in
conjunction with the participating Micro Finance Banks (MFBs) had sought the
support of the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant General
(AG) for the deduction of such loans from the salaries of the guarantors who
are public servants beginning from September, with a charge on them to prevail
on the beneficiaries to commence repayment to protect their own incomes.
Fasawe, who made this
known at a meeting with the loan guarantors in Ado-Ekiti revealed that the
government was determined to recover all the loans to the last kobo. He said
that the state government was passionate about the plight of workers which
informed the delay in the implementation of the policy and the eventual call
for the meeting and dialogues on the way forward.
While stating that the attitude of the people of the state
on loan repayment has deprived the state from accessing further funds from the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Special Adviser posited that this has been counterproductive
to the economic development of the state.
The MEDA boss went on to disclose that over N 30 million has
been recovered during the first 3 weeks of its implementation, through the use
of text messages and dialogues with the guarantors.
Speaking at the forum, the Director of Small and Medium
Enterprise in the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industries, Mr. Ayo
Ilesanmi said that it was “quite disheartening that loan beneficiaries in the state
considered those monies as free gift or their own share of the national cake”,
adding that “such beliefs have prevented other people from benefiting from
government supports for growing businesses in the state”.
Some of the beneficiaries at the meeting said that the
lapses in the repayment emanated from the lukewarm attitude of the MFBs to recovering
the loans, promising to pay back the principal based on the tripartite
arrangement they would reach with all the stakeholders.
The representatives of the guarantors also appealed for
extension of the deadline to give them more time and opportunity to talk to,
and prevail on the debtors for repayment.
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