Singapore govt
to spend S$700m more on pro-family measures
By Margaret Perry, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 18 August 2008 2150
hrs
SINGAPORE: The Singapore government plans to spend an additional
S$700 million a year on measures to boost its flagging birth rate.
Currently, it spends about S$900 million a year.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in his National Day Rally
speech on Sunday night that a baby brings much joy, but can also be
a logistic and financial challenge, so a slew of measures will be
implemented by the government to create more time and more funds to
help parents cope with their children.
Paid maternity leave will be
extended from 12 weeks to 16 weeks, and the extra four weeks can be
taken anytime during the baby's first year. It was
previously extended from eight to 12 weeks in 2004.
There will also be a larger baby
bonus for first-time parents, more tax incentives to encourage
mothers to work, more incentives for the fifth and subsequent
children, and more financial support for couples who go for
In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) treatment.
On top of that, Mr Lee said parenting is not just the mother's
responsibility.
"I used to change nappies, in the days before Pampers. So you've
actually got to fold the cloth, you've got to put it on, you've got
to put the safety pin, I haven't pricked any baby yet. If I can do
it, that means anybody can do it," he quipped.
Emphasising that parenting is a job for both parents has
influenced some policy changes which he hopes will help to shift
attitudes. Childcare leave, which can
be claimed by either parent, will be extended from two to six days
per year.
There will also be one week of
unpaid infant-care leave per year, and mums or dads can claim it until their child
turns two years old.
Mr Lee acknowledged that professional women find the cost of not
working the highest, and he cited his own mother's work-life
choices.
A successful lawyer, Mrs Lee Kuan Yew chose to put her children
first, took on fewer cases, avoided evening work functions and ate
lunch at home every day with her children.
He said having children is a personal choice, and parents have
to decide their own priorities.
The government will help by catering to demand and creating 20,000 places at
200 new childcare centres over the next five years. There will also
be more financial support to help kindergartens upgrade their staff
and curricula, as well as more financial help for
parents.
Mr Lee said: "These measures all add up to a very significant
package. We are talking of about maybe S$700 million a year. If
more babies are born, it will be more than S$700 million a year.
But even that is about double of what we are spending today on
child incentives and all together we will have about S$1.6 billion
spent a year or 0.6 per cent of GDP."
For many people in Singapore, getting married is the first
priority. Mr Lee said the government would do what it could to
help, but urged young Singaporeans not to leave it till it is too
late and to make time to go out, meet new friends and if necessary,
join a dating agency.
Mr Lee also spent some time sharing humorous stories from the
feedback he received from dating agencies, including unrealistic
expectations and poor social graces.
He announced that the government will merge the
Social Development Unit (SDU) which caters to graduates, and the
Social Development Service (SDS) for non-graduates to increase
matchmaking flexibility and activities.
SDU will also come up with an SDU Trust Mark to ensure that
those who prefer using private dating agencies will get quality
service.