Lee Hsien Loong wants Singaporeans to have more babies this year. Covid-19 or not, he said that we should take the chance to build families in this auspicious year.
The number of marriages and births dropped during the pandemic. There was a slight increase over the past months but the Prime Minister hopes we can do better for the sake of our future.
Before expecting more from Singaporeans, he should think about whether we can afford to have more children. The government gives out baby support grant but does it cover enough of our costs? As an elite, does he understand the realities of providing for more children?
These days, young couples have to wait 6 years for a BTO, cope with the costs of raising a child, compete with other parents to get a place in schools, and juggle with their neverending work. That is excluding the need to get a car and the fact that a GST hike is coming soon.
In a country like Singapore where things are fast-paced, there is not much work-life balance. We are already trying to cope with rising costs: the ever-increasing transport fares, electric bills, COE, GST. If the government expect us to produce more babies, they should give us more help and make our lives easier. If they cannot do that, they should just keep quiet.
Or since they are so rich, maybe they should try for another child instead!
