GENDER MAINSTREAMING, ENHANCING SUPPORT TO OUR ELDERLY AND CONSOLIDATING OUR WELFARE SYSTEM
217. I now come to the seventh pathway on our Transformative Journey – that of enhancing the role and participation of women in our development, strengthening support to our elderly and consolidating our welfare system.
218. I will start with gender mainstreaming.
219. Too many gender gaps have been with us for too long.
220. As a nation, we must get the right perspective on the gender issues.
221. I am therefore taking the historic decision to introduce gender considerations at all levels of policy making and implementation.
• First, we are including for the first time a chapter on gender mainstreaming in our 3 Year Rolling Strategic Plan;
• Second, a study will be carried out on the introduction of gender-based budgeting;
• Third, presently women workers reckoning less than 12 months of service are not entitled to payment of a remuneration during their 14 weeks of maternity leave. This is unfair. Government will therefore amend the Employment Rights Act to allow payment of a remuneration for those mothers reckoning less than 12 months service;
• Fourth, Government will come up with a Gender Equality Bill to set a strong and comprehensive legal framework for gender mainstreaming;
• Fifth, each Ministry and public-sector institution will be required to publish a Gender Policy Statement in its Annual Report. And we are hoping that the large corporations in the private sector will follow suit;
• Sixth, I am making provision in this Budget to train some 250 government officials across all ministries and departments, to deal with gender issues;
• Seventh, Rs 200,000 is being allocated to each Ministry to promote sensitisation and awareness programmes and implement activities on gender mainstreaming;
• Eighth, each Ministry will be required to have a Gender Cell that will encourage greater gender balance in the decision-making process and serve as a platform for dialogue on gender mainstreaming issues; and
• Ninth, one of the barriers for women to join the labour force is access to crèches. I am therefore more than doubling the current one-off grant under the Crèche scheme from Rs 200,000 up to Rs 500,000 to promote investment in crèches; and companies that invest in a crèche will benefit from a double deduction under corporate tax.
222. Madam Speaker, domestic violence is unfortunately a failing of our modern society, undermining not only the strength of our society’s growth but also endangering our women and children. This is why government will support the relevant NGOs to set up additional emergency shelters for women and children.
223. Furthermore, a training programme will be run for social workers on rehabilitation of perpetrators of violence.
224. And we are making provision for the recruitment of
15 additional Family Welfare and Protection Officers to better assist women and children victims of violence in their rehabilitation.
Enhancing Support to Our Elderly
225. I will now articulate our policies to enhance support to our elderly.
226. As life expectancy goes up, which is an achievement we are all proud of, we must also ensure that our society provides for healthy ageing – for our elderly to get all the care they deserve.
227. I am providing for two elderly day care centres at Bambous and Chemin Grenier.
228. I am also providing for specialised training for 50 carers initially with the collaboration of the MITD.
229. I am increasing the monthly grant to employees of residential care homes and institutions that are caring mostly for our elders with disabilities, from Rs 6,071 to Rs 8,500, that is by 40 percent.
230. As regards the monthly Basic Retirement Pension, let me recall that between December 2014 and December 2017 we have increased it from Rs 3,500 to Rs 5,450. In January 2018 we have further increased it to Rs 5,810. Since December 2014 to date the BRP has thus gone up by more than 65 percent.
Enhancing Consumer Welfare
231. I will now announce our measures to enhance consumer welfare.
• First, regulations under the Hire Purchase and Credit Sale Act will be amended to remove anysurcharge on late payments;
• Second, the Ombudsperson for Financial Services Bill is being finalized in consultation with relevant stakeholders to better protect consumers of banking and financial services;
• Third, Blood Glucose Strips will be placed on the list of controlled commodities under the maximum mark-up system. This should result in a decrease of between Rs 40 and Rs 170 per pack of 50 strips;and
• Fourth, there will be stricter control on the quality of consumer goods produced both locally and imported.
232. Madam Speaker, let me now come to the issue of petroleum prices. Due to the surging price of petroleum products on the world market in recent months, there has been an increase in the prices of Mogas and Gas Oil locally. Today, as a gesture of solidarity with consumers, I am pleased to announce that:
• First, the price of Mogas will be reduced by
Rs 2.35 per litre, that is, from Rs 52 to Rs 49.65; and
• Second, the price of Gas oil (Diesel) will be reduced by Rs 1.90 per litre, that is, from
Rs 41.90 to Rs 40.
233. And it is not all. In spite of an increase in the price of LPG on the world market we have not raised the price locally for LPG for domestic use, which is subsidised by Government. Today, in our determination to further enhance consumer welfare, especially for families with modest income, I am announcing a reduction in the price of a cylinder of LPG of 12 kg by Rs 30, that is, from Rs 270 to Rs 240.
Consolidating Our Welfare State
234. I will now elaborate on our policies to consolidate our welfare state and give more support to the poor and vulnerable.
235. The progress we are making on combating poverty is exemplary.
236. This Government has gained the right perspective on poverty.
237. As success breeds success, we will continue our relentless resolve by taking more families out of poverty.
238. We are thus providing for reinforcing the Case Management Approach under the Empowerment Support Scheme in the Marshall Plan as follows:
• First, we will double the number of social field workers to sixty;
• Second, the unemployed who are benefiting from training and placement opportunities will henceforth be offered start-up tool kits to enable them to practice and work on their own and to start a business; and
• Third, I am providing for the construction of a housing unit for some 200 families who have land but not the means to build a house.
239. In all, we are making a total provision of Rs 760 million in this Budget for poverty alleviation and empowerment of the poor and vulnerable groups.
240. To improve outcomes from the funds utilised to combat poverty and alleviate social problems, a coordinated approach with regard to disbursement of funds to NGOs will be introduced. The National CSR Foundation will be the central body to receive and allocate public funds to NGOs.
241. As regards the CSR, private firms will have to remit, as from January 2019, 75 percent of their CSRcontribution to the MRA, as announced two years ago. However, for CSR programmes which have already started and which are in accordance with the guidelines set by the National CSR Foundation, firms will be allowed, upon approval by the Foundation, to retain an additional amount of up to 25 percent.
242. I now come to our Social Aid system.
243. I am doubling the kind assistance for wheelchairs, hearing aids, spectacles and dentures to Rs 30 million.
244. The income threshold for persons to benefit from legal aid will be raised from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000.
245. I am also raising the monthly carer’s allowance to bed-ridden persons under the Basic Invalid Pension from Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000.
246. To increase the mobility of disabled persons, I am providing full duty exemption on the purchase of a motor car of engine capacity of up to 1,600 cc.
247. We will also invest to make it easier for disabled persons to have access to public buildings.
248. To support the rehabilitation and reintegration process of children in distress, I am providing for a new shelter at Pointe Aux Sables at a cost of Rs 60 million.
249. And provision is being made for upgrading of the following shelters: Oasis at Grand River North West, La Colombe at
Pointe Aux Sables and Oiseau du Paradis at Cap Malheureux.
250. We are also providing for 4 psychiatric nurses to assist children with behavioural problems.
251. I am providing for the construction of 9 new children playgrounds and the upgrading of 19 existing playgrounds across the island.