Desperation in trying to increase population
AFP
7 Aug 06
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060806/hl_afp/singaporepopulationbabiesmigration_060806044730
SDP's comment: After nearly half-a-century of uninterrupted PAP
rule, this outcome signals an utter and complete failure of the
population-control policy. First in was the Stop-At-Two policy,
then came the hare-brained Graduate Mothers Scheme, and now its the
the have-more-if-you-can-afford desperate measure coupled with the
Foreign Talent Policy. These policies have wreaked untold hardship
on the people (the social impact of the foreign recruitment policy
may yet prove disastrous for Singaporeans) and yet there is no way
that the population can hold the PAP accountable.
Singapore needs to attract foreign migrants to top up the
population of the city-state whose birth rate in 2005 remained at
an all-time low of 1.24 children per woman, said Home Affairs
Minister Wong Kan Seng.
Last year's birth rate of 1.24, the same as 2004, meant only 35,600
babies were born, well below the replacement rate of 2.1 that
Singapore needs in order to replenish its population naturally, he
said late Saturday in a speech.
"Our total fertility rate is at a low of 1.24... To replace
ourselves, we should have 60,000 births each year," said
Wong.
"For us, the gap is too large to fill with resident births. We have
to top up our population and work force with migrants," he
said.
The drive to attract talented foreign migrants was crucial to
Singapore's long-term competitiveness as they would boost the local
work force and their contributions would expand the economic pie,
Wong said.
"We have to continue to attract global talents and people with
skills to augment our work force. We should encourage those who can
contribute to settle down here," he said.
"This is the way to enlarge the economic pie. There will then be
more for everyone to share.
"If not, as other countries get more competitive and if we let our
workforce diminish, investments will go elsewhere, and there will
be less for us to share."
Singapore has intensified efforts to address the baby shortage in
recent years with a raft of measures to encourage married
Singaporeans to have more children.
These include longer maternity leave, cash subsidies and a lower
levy on hiring foreign maids.
The government has also made efforts to attract talented foreigners
to take up citizenship.
Singapore fears a low birth rate will have a long-term economic
impact and increase the proportion of elderly citizens relative to
those of working age, raising social welfare costs.
The city-state has a population of 3.4 million plus some 800,000
foreign workers and professionals.
