| Home > Career News |
|
||
| JobCyclone is not affiliated with the authors of this page or responsible for its content. | |||
| Singapore PM offers baby-making perks!
By: AFP August 19, 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Singapore: New Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will offer Singaporean women more incentives to make babies in order to reverse the city-state's alarmingly low birth rate, news reports said today. Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang, who heads a committee looking into the city-state's baby shortage, said the perks will include longer maternity leaves and improved infant care on top of cash incentives. Lee will address Singapore's population woes on Sunday when he delivers his first policy speech since being sworn into office last week, Lim was quoted by local newspapers as saying. Most working mothers here now get eight weeks of maternity leave. Lim said the new measures, which will take immediate effect, include flexibility in using maternity leaves, reducing disruptions to employers and workers alike. The lack of babies has become an urgent concern after it was disclosed that the fertility rate plummeted to a historic low of 1.26 children per woman last year, which means Singapore's native population is shrinking. Only 36,000 babies were born last year, well below the 50,000 babies Singapore needs to replenish its population of 3.4 million naturally and have enough manpower for long-term economic, defence and other needs. |
|
Copyright © 2001 by L & C IT Consultants. All Rights Reserved. Designed by L & C IT Consultants. |