MONDAY'S editorial ('A case of try and try again') highlighted the many failed attempts to arrest the declining birth rate in Singapore.
The current average of 1.22 babies per woman of child-bearing age is far below the near-replacement level of 2.07, and places our birth rate among the lowest in the world.
This worrying trend was noted by the Government almost 25 years ago and several rounds of incentives were introduced. All failed miserably, and yet, we refuse to recognise the real reasons for the failure.
Singapore's low birth rate is the outcome of social and economic policies of the past decades, which have resulted in high cost of living, low employment security, low wages, wide disparity of income, high cost of housing and a stressful education system, just to name a few.
The measure to increase the population through immigration will not solve the underlying problems. Immigrants will face the same difficulties as Singapore-born citizens and have the option of moving to another country at a convenient time in the future.
I hope that we are prepared to face reality, address the underlying issues, and try new measures which have proven to be successful in other countries.
Tan Kin Lian
-- ST Forum
something have to give. you cant have a cake and eat it.
Originally posted by Rooney9:something have to give. you cant have a cake and eat it.
its call the lack of political will to tackle the problems.