SINGAPORE: The Singapore government has announced a
S$2b package in another attempt to boost the country's low
fertility rate.
To encourage couples to start families earlier, the
government is making it easier for couples with young children to
get their first homes.
Under the Parenthood Priority Scheme, up to 30 per
cent of new public flats in matured and non-matured estates will be
set aside for couples with children under the age of 16.
Also new is a Parenthood Provisional Housing scheme for this group
of parents, who can rent a flat from the HDB while they wait for
their new flats to be ready.
The HDB will launch about 1,150 units of three-, four- and
five-room flats by the end of this month which can be rented out at
between S$800 and S$1,900.
The latest measures are the third round of enhancements to the
Marriage and Parenthood package. It will cost the government S$2
billion a year -- higher than the S$1.6 billion in the 2008
package.
It also covers areas such as assisted reproduction, healthcare and
paternity leave.
Fathers will finally get paid paternity leave of one week. This is
on top of the one-week leave they can co-share with mothers under
the working mother's maternity leave entitlement of four
months.
Couples who adopt can look forward to four weeks of paid adoption
leave for working mothers.
Employers must make provisions for the various paid leave from 1
May 2013.
For those who have difficulty conceiving, the government will help
pay a bigger share of Assisted Reproduction Technology
treatments.
It will now cover up to 75 per cent of treatment costs. These will
be capped at S$6,300 per cycle for three fresh treatment cycles,
and S$1,200 per cycle for three frozen treatment cycles.
The Baby Bonus cash gift will increase by S$2,000 per birth, up to
the fourth child.
Every newborn will have a CPF Medisave account with a grant of
S$3,000 to support healthcare costs.
The enhanced Baby Bonus and Medisave will apply to all Singapore
citizen children born on or after 26 August 2012.
Congenital and neonatal conditions will also be covered under
MediShield. The government will extend MediShield to cover such
conditions from March 2013.
For existing policyholders, such as insured children, they will
automatically receive coverage for any congenital conditions
diagnosed on or after 1 March 2013.
Which new measure gets your vote
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who announced the measures on
Monday, said Singapore's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) rose slightly
in 2012 -- due partly to the "mini Dragon Year impact".
The TFR climbed from 1.2 in 2011 to between 1.28 and 1.3 last year,
according to preliminary estimates.
The last time Singapore's TFR was at the replacement level of 2.1
was way back in 1976.
The country's leaders now have a target of between 1.4 and 1.5,
should the new measures make any form of impact.
"We hope that in the longer term we can get, of course, up to 2.1
but looking at the environment and what other countries and cities
are facing, that really is a work in progress that will require a
long time but if we can get 1.4, 1.5 in the coming years, I think
that will be a good step forward," said Mr Teo.
Mr Teo said the Marriage and Parenthood package is the most
fundamental component of Singapore's population roadmap.
He said the core is still a Singapore population and making sure it
is sustainable, as it is the most critical aspect to ensure the
country's long-term future.
"Singaporeans are the core of our society, and the best and most
fundamental way to build a stronger Singaporean core is to
encourage marriage and parenthood, to encourage Singaporeans to
have more children," said Mr Teo.
"So, regardless of whatever else we do to deal with the population
challenge, the core and the most fundamental thing that we want to
do is to encourage Singaporeans to marry and have more children and
this is the starting point of all that we do. So, everything else
we do is build around this."
"We hope that it will help the young people to consider getting
married earlier and to have children earlier. Our survey shows that
83% of young people do want to get married and have children and
that a very high proportion of them also feel that the existing
Marriage and Parenthood measures do encourage them and help them to
do so, and of course they have feedback specific areas which they
feel will be helpful and those are the areas which are attending to
in this enhancement to the Marriage and Parenthood package," added
Mr Teo.
Mr Teo, who is also the minister in charge of population policies,
announced the measures along with ministers in charge of various
portfolios.
They include National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan, Minister
in the Prime Minister's Office Grace Fu, Health Minister Gan Kim
Yong and Acting Minister for Social and Family Development Chan
Chun Sing.
While practical concerns are addressed, the panel of ministers said
just as important are the intangibles that need to evolve in
Singapore.
Mr Chan said that "we should also look at it as a comprehensive
package addressing not just the tangible and immediate issues that
have to do with financials and economics but also the softer
aspects". He said that these are equally important, if not, more
important.
They include "how we bring up our children, the kind of values that
we inculcate in them, how we give a sense of peace of mind to young
parents to bring up their own children - the kind of early
childhood development opportunities, so that they don't have to
worry that if they do not have the means somehow their children
will be left behind even before they start school," said Mr
Chan.
"These are all important pieces that we need to put in place in
order for us to create that entire environment where Singapore is
really known as a pro-family society."
For more information on the Marriage and Parenthood package, you
can visit the website: www.heybaby.sg
More measures will be announced over the next few weeks to better
support families, for example, in making health care and child care
more affordable.
Two other reports are also due - highlighting the government's
strategies in creating better jobs for Singaporeans while
maintaining a high quality of life.
All these population policies will then be debated in
Parliament.
- CNA/al/ir
