THE government will set up a sustainable development goals (SDG) centre to empower programmes nationwide and keep track of their progress, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.

According to the prime minister, the establishment of the centre under the Prime Minister’s Department economic planning unit was given the nod during the national SDG council meeting, which he chaired yesterday.

“This sustainable development agenda requires comprehensive and inclusive involvement, as well as efforts from everyone to raise the level of awareness at grassroots level and among private companies,” he said in a statement today.

Ismail said the meeting had also agreed on voluntary local reviews (VLR) at the local authorities’ municipal and district councils, as well as state government, in which a minimum of one report must be provided by each state.

Each state is encouraged to prepare the VLR as a guide to monitoring Malaysia’s progress towards national development growth to achieve social, environmental and economic balance, the prime minister said. – Bernama, September 6, 2022.