Din you guys read
this?
Singapore's birth trend outlook remains dismal: sociologist
By Julia Ng, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 07 February 2007 2200
hrs
SINGAPORE: About 600 more babies were born last year.
Preliminary birth figures from the birth registry at Immigration
and Checkpoints Authority put the number of babies born in 2006 at
38,232.
But a sociologist said the marginal increase in newborns would do
little to lift Singapore's total fertility rate from its record low
of 1.24 in 2004.
Besides aggressive immigration policies, bolder changes in family
policies are needed to help Singapore replace its rapidly ageing
and dwindling population.
Even with 600 more babies born in 2006 than the previous year,
Singapore's total fertility rate, which has hovered around the
all-time low of 1.24 for the last two years, is likely to remain
one of the world's lowest.
The Total Fertility Rate is the lowest among Singapore Chinese
women, just 1.08 babies per resident female in 2005.
To grow the Singapore population, the government ramped up its
foreign talent programme last year to encourage talented people to
migrate to Singapore.
Dr Angelique Chan, Sociologist, National
University of Singapore, said: "I think dual citizenship is
something we should consider in the Singapore context, particularly
if we're interested in maintaining the numbers in the Singapore
population."
But she added that immigration is only a short-term solution. And
in the long run, Singapore needs to look at policies that enable
families to grow and policies which help families to better balance
work with family life.
Countries like France have shown that family-friendly policies like
a 40-week paid maternity leave for the third child, cheap childcare
and free nurseries go a long way in reversing falling birth
rates.
On top of free public transport, grants, allowances and tax breaks
which increase substantially after the third child the French
government recently raised its special allowance to pay mothers
1,000 euros a month if they give up work that year to have their
third child.
French women now have an average of two children each, compared
with the European average of 1.5.
Since its introduction in 2001 and enhancement in 2004, Singapore's
Baby Bonus scheme has had very modest success.
"I think Singapore has reached a point where it has a lot of
economic success and now it has some surplus, and it's time to
start thinking about the more human element," said Dr Chan.
So will the Year of the Pig bring on fatter Baby Bonuses?
Singapore couples will not have to wait long to find out as Budget
Day, February 15, approaches. - CNA/so
