Singapore now paying citizens to make babies

By , K24 Digital
On Tue, 6 Oct, 2020 12:33 | < 1 min read
Marina Bay Sands
The iconic Marina Bay Sands building in Singapore. PHOTO | COURTESY
The iconic Marina Bay Sands building in Singapore. PHOTO | COURTESY

Singapore is offering a one-off payment to encourage people to have babies during the coronavirus pandemic.

The worry is that citizens are putting off parenthood as they struggle with financial stress and job insecurity.

"We have received feedback that Covid-19 has caused some aspiring parents to postpone their parenthood plans," Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said on Monday.

Details of the amount that could be paid have yet to be released. It is in addition to several hefty baby bonuses offered by the government.

Singapore has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, which it has struggled to boost for decades.