In view of the declining Total Fertility Rate(TFR) the government has decided to provide more support for the early stages of family formation, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Indranee Rajah.
Rajah said the government will provide more support for the early stages of family formation in a few areas including greater priority for first-timer families with children, as well as younger married couples, in their Build-To-Order flat applications, including an additional ballot, The Straits Times reported
Singapore’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) hit an all-time low of 1.05 in 2022, with a minister on Friday citing the Tiger year in the Lunar calendar as a possible reason for the dip in the reproductivity rate in the city-state.
Addressing Parliament, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Indranee Rajah, said that Singapore’s TFR has been declining for many years, like other advanced societies.TFR refers to the average number of live births each woman would have during her reproductive years.
”Even Norway and Finland, who were previously successful in improving their fertility rates, are finding it difficult to sustain these gains,” Rajah, who oversees the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD) under the Strategy Group in the PMO, said.
Singapore’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) hit an all-time low of 1.05 in 2022, dipping below the previous record of 1.1 in 2020 and 1.12 in 2021.
”This was partly due to the Tiger year in the Lunar calendar, which is generally associated with lower births among the Chinese,” Minister Indranee Rajah said, reported Channel News Asia. In 2010, also a Tiger year, the country saw a TFR of 1.15, lower than the years before and after, it said.
In view of the declining TFR the government has decided to provide more support for the early stages of family formation, said the minister.
Rajah said the government will provide more support for the early stages of family formation in a few areas including greater priority for first-timer families with children, as well as younger married couples, in their Build-To-Order flat applications, including an additional ballot, The Straits Times reported.
Other measures are the increase in the Baby Bonus cash gift and the Child Development Account First Step Grant for all eligible Singaporean children, and a higher co-matching cap in the Child Development Account for the first and second child, she said.
Government-paid paternity leave will also be extended to four weeks, up from the current two, for eligible working fathers of children born on or after January 1, 2024, the report said.
”This is a big step towards normalising and enabling fathers to play a bigger role in raising our children,” said Rajah, urging employers and colleagues to help fathers feel assured about using their leave.
Singapore also needs to remain open to foreign manpower to help fill skills shortages in the labour market and boost the economy’s productive capacity, the minister added.
She said the government is looking into ways to further develop the local workforce, by preparing students for jobs of the future and diversifying pathways, investing heavily in upskilling and building a stronger pipeline of Singaporeans for leadership positions across different sectors.
At the same time, Singapore faces a host of complexities on the population front, including an ageing population and a more diverse society. With this backdrop in mind, Singapore’s population strategies will seek to achieve a stronger social compact in a number of ways, she said.
Replying to a question on whether childcare leave could be increased and leave be given to couples seeking fertility treatments, the Minister said, another important strategy is to increase the adoption of flexible work arrangements (FWAs), which helps caregivers of not only children but also the elderly.
”Even as we encourage more FWAs, we need to make sure workplace harmony is maintained. The best way to achieve this win-win outcome is not by taking a legalistic approach at the onset, but to focus on shaping norms and fostering workplace trust,” she said.
The Government will also review how it can better support new parents in caring for their infants, said Rajah.
The minister said that with a slowing resident workforce growth and a maturing economy, Singapore will have to work harder to restructure the economy to sustain economic growth.