http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_640910.html

Mar 3, 2011

What price marriage and having more babies?

By Rachel Chang

WHEN dangled a baby bonus in cash of $500,000 per child, with no strings attached, some childless women would change their minds.

This finding emerged from a straw poll done by Mr Zaqy Mohamad (Hong Kah GRC), who argued in Parliament yesterday that such 'in-your-face, upfront and simple' cash incentives would go further in convincing women to have more children.

'There is a tipping point, a price,' he said. 'Just that the Government hasn't found it, or is finding the price too tough to swallow.'

Mr Zaqy was one of three MPs to offer suggestions on how to boost the abysmal birth rate during the debate on the budget for the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). The other two were Nominated MPs Viswa Sadasivan and Paulin Tay Straughan.

All three argued that the array of subsidies and tax relief in the Government's $1.6 billion 'Marriage and Parenthood Package' are insufficient to convince Singaporeans to have more children.

But Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng, who heads the National Population and Talent Division in the PMO, said more time was needed to assess the impact of the package, last enhanced in 2008.

(not full story)