Parliamentary reply by DPM Wong Kan Seng on enhance the pro-family incentives

Assoc Prof Paulin Tay Straughan: To ask the Prime Minister in light of the lower number of births recorded in 2009, whether the Government has plans to further enhance the pro-family incentives.

Mr Wong Kan Seng (for the Prime Minister): The enhanced marriage and parenthood package was announced in August 2008 and was implemented shortly after. Resident births fell by 351, from 37,277 in 2008 to 36,926 in 2009. One reason for the decline could be due to the recession in 2009.

It is too early to review the marriage and parenthood package at this stage. We will let the 2008 marriage and parenthood package run for a while before doing a comprehensive review.

In the meantime, I hope that Singaporeans will not be deterred by the Year of the Tiger, and proceed to get married and start a family when they are ready to do so. Children born in the Year of the Tiger are no different from children born under other zodiac signs.