We thank Mr Andrew Tan for his views on the measures to boost Singapore’s total fertility rate (TFR) (Is Budget 2023 enough to boost Singapore’s fertility rate?, Feb 28).
We see the latest set of enhancements as part of a much wider range of measures that the Government has put in place over the years to support Singaporeans in getting married and raising children. These include enabling young couples to secure their own home, significant investments in healthcare and education to give every child a good start, as well as working with tripartite partners and employers to encourage the adoption of flexible work arrangements.
In particular, we hope the enhancements help address feedback that we have received from Singaporeans on their marriage and parenthood journey. In our recent engagements with close to 20,000 Singaporeans, we understand that marriage and parenthood aspirations remain strong but couples would like more financial support, especially when their children are younger (six and under), as well as support in managing work and family commitments.
Therefore, as announced at Budget 2023, we have increased financial support in the child’s early years, by enhancing the Baby Bonus Cash Gift and Child Development Account. To help parents manage work and family commitments, we will also increase the government-paid paternity leave and unpaid infant care leave from Jan 1, 2024.
Nonetheless, we recognise that raising the TFR needs to go beyond government measures.
The decline in TFR is a phenomenon observed across many other advanced societies, given longer-term societal trends that have resulted in more individuals postponing marriage and parenthood, and also opting to have fewer children when they are ready to start a family.
Some of the elements that we have observed to have supported family formation in other advanced societies include societal norms that value children and families, mindsets and practices that encourage shared parental responsibility, as well as a family-friendly workplace culture. We need a whole-of-society effort to foster such norms and encourage all stakeholders to join us in building a Singapore that is Made For Families.
Amelia Tang
Senior Director, National Population and Talent Division
Strategy Group, Prime Minister’s Office
