KUCHING, Sept 28: Sarawak government has approved an additional grant of RM1 million to the state Women and Family Department’s entrepreneurs grant.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, when making the announcement, said this will bring the grant to RM2 million in total since it was initiated last year.
He said the state government was impressed with the results of the entrepreneurs programme initiated by the Ministry of Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development under the leadership of Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah over the years.
It was timely for the state government to match this achievement, he added.
“I believe you can do it because I’ve seen the progress so far. Definitely there is achievement and success on your part, the government will definitely match with your success,” he said at the state-level Women’s Day 2019 celebration at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), today.
Earlier, Fatimah requested the state government to double the grant from the existing RM1 million allocated last year, so that the programme can be extended to about 400 more potential women entrepreneurs to be trained in the year 2020.
She said back when the entrepreneurship training programme was introduced in 2018, the state government initial allocation of RM500,000 to the grant had contributed to an income increase of about 191 per cent of the some 200 participants of the programme.
“As of August 2019, some 520 women entrepreneurs applied for the grant upon finishing their training with the programme, which has attracted 2,861 participants this year.
“This shows an increase of about 7 per cent over the same period of time,” said Fatimah.
At the event, Abang Johari also approved an allocation of RM1 million for Fatimah’s ministry to set up and manage daycare centres (Taska) in state government agencies for 2020.
This marks an increase from the previous grant of RM515,000 by the state government.
Fatimah said the addition to the grant would be used to expand and set up more Taska in state government agencies to encourage women with children to contribute to society and be productive, while at the same time not neglecting care for their young children. — DayakDaily
