You want more babies? Give us more money!

Agence France Presse. Singapore. April 30, 2000

SINGAPOREAN couples being urged by their government to produce more babies have sent back a common message: show us the money!

More than 300 people who took part in a poll conducted by the Straits Times said they could produce more babies if the government helped them defray the costs of doing so.

Respondents who emailed, faxed or phoned in their suggestions said tax breaks were not enough.

Suggestions ranged from educational and health-care subsidies to altering the work environment to make it more family-friendly, including fighting job discrimination against pregnant women.

One respondent proposed a one-year "parent leave" to be shared by the couple, with 75 percent pay and a guarantee of being taken back by employers -- a radical proposal in a chronically labor-short city-state.

The government, alarmed by the low birth rate, has convened a top-level committee to find ways of encouraging Singaporeans to produce more babies.

The current average fertility rate of 1.48 children per woman is far below the 2.15 deemed needed for the population to just replace itself. Singapore now has about 3.1 million people plus 700,000 foreigners.

Ironically, one of the reasons behind the baby shortage is a successful past campaign to stop couples having more than two children.

With the government now changing gears, would-be parents complain of a lack of child-care centers and creative job arrangements such as flexible work hours and "teleworking" from home.

One of the suggestions sent to the Straits Times was to give financial grants for young couples to buy cars. Very often in-laws are asked to help care for babies, but using public transport is a big hassle.

Because of a quota system, Singapore is one of the costliest places to buy and maintain a car.