KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Welfare, Women and Family Development will set up Women Innovation Academy next year to empower more women to be leaders in the country.
The proposed academy, which targets engagement, research and training of entrepreneurship and leadership of women, has the blessing of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as he mentioned it when presenting Budget 2014 yesterday.
With an allocation of RM2.2 billion from the budget given to the ministry, its minister Datuk Seri Rohani Karim is very confident the academy would be established. Rohani was clearly surprised and pleased that the proposed academy was well accepted by Najib.
“The Women Innovation Academy, when it is included in the budget like this, is something very concrete. It shows that the government really wants us to look into woman affairs,” said Rohani after the budget was tabled.
“With the Women Innovation Academy, we can work with academicians, professional ladies, government officers, NGOs (non-governmental organisations) in the country, and international bodies.”
Rohani pointed out that the 2014 budget had also allowed the increase of pocket money from RM1.50 per day to RM3 for children in welfare institutions. As for the elderly in old folk homes, the daily allowance was increased from RM10 to RM30.
The ministry would be introducing four special buses as mobile family centres to give special advice on family matters, especially on balanced food diet, chronic diseases, glaucoma, and cholesterol checkups.
“We also welcome the setting up of flexible working hours for women who are willing to join the work force.”
She described the quantum of funds allocated to her ministry as “fair” as her ministry had requested for that amount.
Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Joseph Entulu Balaun welcomed the announcement that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) would be implemented on April 1, 2015 as it was a comprehensive taxing system.
“I supported GST because the present sales and service taxing system has been very complicated. With the introduction of GST, there will be a general understanding of how service and goods taxes work.
“With 17 more months to implementation, the people would be given plenty of time to understand the new mechanism.”