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The Minister in the Prime Minister’s
Office and 2nd Minister for Finance, Mr Lim
Hng Kiang, told the media today that the Government will take a holistic and
coherent approach that goes beyond financial
measures to tackle the population challenges
facing Singapore.
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Mr Lim, who has been tasked to recommend specific
proposals to address the problem of declining birth rates and to persuade
foreigners to become Singapore citizens, said that a package of new measures
will be announced by National Day this year.
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He called on Singaporeans to provide feedback and
suggestions on how best to encourage marriage, parenthood, and citizenship.
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On the procreation front, Mr Lim said that the
total number of births per resident
(that is, citizen or permanent resident) woman has fallen by more than 30% (as
measured by the Total Fertility Rate) since 1980, hitting an all-time low of
1.26 in 2003.
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This was despite the slew of measures that had
been introduced since 1987, ranging from tax reliefs and rebates to direct
grants for the second and third child under the Baby Bonus scheme to paid
maternity leave for the third child.
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"We had only 36,000 resident babies born in
2003. That’s far below the number of babies that we need each year to
replace ourselves", said Mr Lim.
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The declining birth rate has reflected three
key trends – increasing singlehood, later marriages and family formation,
and desire for smaller families.
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The number of singles aged 40 to 44 years has
increased over the years, not only amongst graduates, but across the board.
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Couples are also marrying later and postponing
plans to start a family until they feel more secure financially. Finally,
couples today are choosing to have fewer children than their parents,
reflecting other competing priorities like career or lifestyle choices.
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Mr Lim said that declining birth rates are not
unique to Singapore, but a common
problem facing most developed economies. In Asian countries like South Korea
and Japan, rapid economic development has been accompanied by sharp declines
in birth rates.
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In European countries, birth rates are relatively
more stable but also below replacement rate, reflecting their high levels of
economic development. However, countries like France and the Netherlands, have
had some success in increasing their birth rates, though slightly. One of the
keys to their success is that they have taken active measures to promote a
good balance between work and family life.
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The experience of some of these countries and
the many suggestions and feedback given by Singaporeans has prompted the
Government to take a broader approach to encouraging family formation. The
Government will be looking into ways to address the rising singlehood rate. In
terms of supporting parenthood, Mr Lim said that Government will study four
main areas:
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More.....
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Minister proposes roadmap for building next Singaporean generation
