THE Endowment Fund Sarawak (EFS) has benefited 65,482 recipients as of March 31.
Women, Early Childhood and Community Well-being Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said it involved an allocation of RM65.5 million set aside by the state government.
“The EFS assistance in the form of savings of RM1,000 for each Sarawak child since 2019 is a financial assistance that symbolises the Sarawak government’s recognition of the importance of the arrival of new members in the family,” she said in her ministerial winding up speech at the DUN sitting today.
She said the state government also emphasised the importance of taking care of postnatal mothers.
“This can be seen through the provision of the Maternity Assistance (BIB) programme introduced in 2020.
“A total of 42,219 mothers have received initiatives involving a total allocation of RM19 million until March 31.”
She added that both the grants are short-term and long-term initiatives to help Sarawakian families.
To support Early Childhood Institutions (ECI) during the COVID-19 pandemic, Fatimah said the Sarawak government approved the use of an Annual Special Grant of RM5,000 to include payment for staff salaries, rental of premises, purchase of services and other necessities related to Covid-19.
“The grant of RM29.1 million was indeed a great help to ease the financial burden of 2,868 ECIs in 2020 and 2,958 in 2021,” she added.
