KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 — The government has allocated RM470 million for financing provided by SME Bank, Bank Simpanan Nasional, Bank Rakyat and Mara to help female entrepreneurs obtain working capital, purchase assets and grow their businesses.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim when presenting Budget 2025 in the Dewan Rakyat today said that to encourage women to return to work, the Women’s Leadership Apprenticeship Programme will be intensified under the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to produce more female corporate personalities.
“The back-to-work programme will be initiated to encourage women to return to jobs in the financial sector. This programme, organised by Bank Negara Malaysia and the Securities Commission, will provide training facilities and connect women with potential employers.
“The government also plans to offer an additional 50 per cent tax exemption to employers who hire women to return to work after they pursue their education under financial aid for 12 months,” he said.
Meanwhile, Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said the government has provided an allocation of RM5 million to implement the 1,000 First Days of Life Initiative to address the matter of newborn babies contracting Hepatitis B.
“This effort is to encourage early detection and provide treatment in an effort to produce a healthy and productive generation,” he said.
Anwar also said welfare allocation for the elderly has been increased to RM1 billion to fund cash aid and money for elderly institutions and activity centres.
“The government proposes individual income tax exemptions on sports and healthcare activities be reviewed to preserve the welfare and guarantee the care of the elderly, including tax exemptions on taxpayers’ parents’ full medical examination expenses to be expanded to cover the cost of vaccinations.
“Tax exemptions for equipment and sports activities will be extended to taxpayers’ parents; and tax relief for medical treatment for their parents would include grandparents. Additional tax deductions for employers who pay childcare allowances have also been expanded to include care for the elderly i.e. parents and grandparents,” he said.
He said assistance for the disabled under the Social Welfare Department will be increased to RM1.3 billion from RM1.2 billion.
Financing facilities through the BSN Sinar Scheme is also available, with a RM50 million allocation for the disabled to start businesses.
“The government will also ease the burden of disabled taxpayers, with a proposed additional tax relief for disabled people to be increased to RM7,000. Additional tax relief for disabled couples has been increased to RM6,000, and tax relief for taxpayers with unmarried disabled children has been increased to RM8,000,” he said.
— Bernama
