[Fegasderty]

All out woes are blamed by the PAP on a single plank of reason - low birth rate amongst Singaporeans. We need the birth rate to not only go past the replacement rate but a little higher to support the ageing population. The govt has in the past has used attractive tax incentives based on educational criteria to encourage childbirth. Obviously it is not working as expected.

So the simple solution is to encourage immigration. The door slowly opened based on strict criteria initially. Then our not so creative and lazy businessmen and those who were keen exploit cheap labour muscled in politically and forced open the door wide. Suddenly what was intentioned to address the low birth rate became joy-juice for all businesses.

Proposal : Save our Country by providing an allowance on a monthly basis for every kid born until they reach the age of 18. The allowance will cover schooling costs, transportation to school and basic food allowance. $200 up to Primary 6, $300 until O levels and $450 until A levels. Lets call it Singaporean Baby Fund.

Entry Criteria : One parent must have served NS in full. Both parents must be born a Singaporean. No exception.

Who is going to pay: This is common sense and extrapolation. If we can buy submarines, F16, F15, maintain overseas bases in 1st world countries, pay to keep entire families overseas to man the bases, pay the world's highest salaries for our Political leaders, pay millions to CEOs of state GLCs some of whom cannot even understand the meaning of sinking fund and having a maintenance regime, profits from our 2 delightful sovereign funds etc, there should not be a problem taking a fraction from their respective operating expenditure and calling it the Save Singapore Surcharge and for profit entites Save Singapore Tax. 0.5% would be good enough based on my back of the ipad(envelope) calculations.

Secondary Tax : This is tax for cheap and useless businessmen who exploit cheap foreign labour without investing in productivity systems or run businesses who should not be viable except for cheap labour. Its a powerful incentive to force to upgrade, work harder and run a first class business.

Many first world countries do just that.

What are your thoughts?

[HedgeYourBets]

All out woes are blamed by the PAP on a single plank of reason - low birth rate amongst Singaporeans. We need the birth rate to not only go past the replacement rate but a little higher to support the ageing population. The govt has in the past has used attractive tax incentives based on educational criteria to encourage childbirth. Obviously it is not working as expected.

So the simple solution is to encourage immigration. The door slowly opened based on strict criteria initially. Then our not so creative and lazy businessmen and those who were keen exploit cheap labour muscled in politically and forced open the door wide. Suddenly what was intentioned to address the low birth rate became joy-juice for all businesses.

Proposal : Save our Country by providing an allowance on a monthly basis for every kid born until they reach the age of 18. The allowance will cover schooling costs, transportation to school and basic food allowance. $200 up to Primary 6, $300 until O levels and $450 until A levels. Lets call it Singaporean Baby Fund.

Entry Criteria : One parent must have served NS in full. Both parents must be born a Singaporean. No exception.

Who is going to pay: This is common sense and extrapolation. If we can buy submarines, F16, F15, maintain overseas bases in 1st world countries, pay to keep entire families overseas to man the bases, pay the world's highest salaries for our Political leaders, pay millions to CEOs of state GLCs some of whom cannot even understand the meaning of sinking fund and having a maintenance regime, profits from our 2 delightful sovereign funds etc, there should not be a problem taking a fraction from their respective operating expenditure and calling it the Save Singapore Surcharge and for profit entites Save Singapore Tax. 0.5% would be good enough based on my back of the ipad(envelope) calculations.

Secondary Tax : This is tax for cheap and useless businessmen who exploit cheap foreign labour without investing in productivity systems or run businesses who should not be viable except for cheap labour. Its a powerful incentive to force to upgrade, work harder and run a first class business.

Many first world countries do just that.

What are your thoughts?

Good proposal. Much better that what the pap is doing now!

But it has to be augmented by other non monentary measures.

[PhillipHer]

What are your thoughts?

I was always under the impression that the old man was no longer interested in getting the local population to breed as the resulting offspring simply weren't hungry enough anymore and needed spurs stuck in their hides on a regular basis just to get them off their lazy backsides.

Immigration isn't just about numbers. It's about upgrading the gene pool.

[PhillipHer]

I did think about non monetary incentives such as paternity leave, extended leave for mothers etc which all have been tired before an failed.

I also realised that this govt can only think in monetary terms. They will always end up putting dollar sign on everything. Even to renounce ctizenship it costs for $35. Thats how silly this is. So make it easy for them.

Also talking cash resonates with people across the educational spectrum. It has encouraged childbirth in the West. It immediately tells prospective parents that the Country will cover your costs of your children and co-invest in their future. Cash in the bank is a powerful incentive as it is straight liquid cash. Parents who are facing job displacement do not have to worry too much about their kids at least not as much as now.

Good proposal. Much better that what the pap is doing now!

But it has to be augmented by other non monentary measures.

[radikal]

To please the old man, I set allowance tier based on education. So if you drop out after primary 6 to do delievry jobs, no money. Old man until he kicks the bucket carries immense influence. He may no longer be lucid to direct anything but the minions he groomed would be dead scared of farting on the wrong side of his wishes.

Pointless having a gene pool and not a nation. The gene pool needs to be looked after by a range of people from barbers, food vendors, mechanics and online mod, paid of course.

I was always under the impression that the old man was no longer interested in getting the local population to breed as the resulting offspring simply weren't hungry enough anymore and needed spurs stuck in their hides on a regular basis just to get them off their lazy backsides.

Immigration isn't just about numbers. It's about upgrading the gene pool.

[Big A]

Also talking cash resonates with people across the educational spectrum. It has encouraged childbirth in the West. It immediately tells prospective parents that the Country will cover your costs of your children and co-invest in their future. Cash in the bank is a powerful incentive as it is straight liquid cash. Parents who are facing job displacement do not have to worry too much about their kids at least not as much as now.

Yes, cash certainly helps. But many SG couples are quite well educated and their heirarchy of needs is much higher. For a policy to be successful, it must embrace quality of life, work life balance, stresses, education system, child care, etc...the govt will not succeed if these areas are not tackled.

[LottiFurmann]

Many Singaporeans are asking why bring their children into Singapore to suffer? Sad, but they are concerned and these are not misplaced concerns

[tgs]

To please the old man, I set allowance tier based on education.

I'm not sure that would please him anymore. What he seems to be looking for now are immigrants with a bit of mongrel in them regardless of their education. That's why he let in hundreds of thousands of "Ah Tiongs" and whores.

Singaporeans from all strata of society produce "softies" in his books.

[Ifroham4]

This is probably a bad analogy but single mums in many first world countries are having kids with multiple partners because they live off the kids state paid allowance. If there were no cash in the equation, they would not bother. But the mechanics in this instance.

I fo agree that we need to shape it such that there is quality. It is small hurdle but a necssary hurdle to cross first.

Yes, cash certainly helps. But many SG couples are quite well educated and their heirarchy of needs is much higher. For a policy to be successful, it must embrace quality of life, work life balance, stresses, education system, child care, etc...the govt will not succeed if these areas are not tackled.

[S.T.D.]

You are right. He made it very clear by the spur in the back remark. I do agree that the hungry to succeed is not the DNA of the new generation but he has to take substantial blame for it by making the country compliant and subservient to him. He groomed a monster and he looking to fix it by going for another monster.

I am also not sure that things like entreprenuership is something that can easily take off in Simgapore. Nearly everything is controlled by high rent hungary GLCs. You can only get one year lease in an MRT station. You now have to give part of your sales into rental as part of the agreement.

In OZ, US, Uk etc if you fail in business, you won't lose your house and the clothes on your back. Entry cost is much lower and you have things like pink rent. We see people in these countries go thru a few failures before suceeding. In Singapore it is a big ask.

I'm not sure that would please him anymore. What he seems to be looking for now are immigrants with a bit of mongrel in them regardless of their education. That's why he let in hundreds of thousands of "Ah Tiongs" and whores.

Singaporeans from all strata of society produce "softies" in his books.

[Peptobismol]

One thing i cannot fathom is the amount they pay for renovation but bringing a child is such an issue. Water fountains, italian marbles, branded wardrobes etc. buy collectors watch. I am talking about people in HDB land. I used to call up my staff whose salaries are above a certain level and ask them their plans to move to a landed property. Most have exensive cars, expensive holidays expenses but no brains. Once I start to screw them, then I see movement.

Now I get thank you note from them including their spouses for seeing the big picture.

I am hoping money will kickstart something positive. Its the gamble that we have to make. This problem has been with us for the last 30 years. The second generation leaders in the main are duds. The 3rd generation is completely hooked on GDP figures to measure their performance and their contribution. They were brought up along these lines and know no better. In a way, it is smart and they are indeed smart but they do it for themselves and not the country.

Many Singaporeans are asking why bring their children into Singapore to suffer? Sad, but they are concerned and these are not misplaced concerns

[S.T.D.]

Yes, the west realised that children are the future of the nation. Society benefits in the future for having children now, hence the subsidising and encouragement of them. I always joke that the SG have used enough of the carrots and should start using the stick. Setup a CPF like fund, for every year a person do not have kids start taxing them a certain amount to be put into this fund. Lets call the Child Bearing fund, CBF. This way, they can only use the fund once the 2nd or third kid is born. If not it would be lumped together with their CPF once they reach retirement age.

I did think about non monetary incentives such as paternity leave, extended leave for mothers etc which all have been tired before an failed.

I also realised that this govt can only think in monetary terms. They will always end up putting dollar sign on everything. Even to renounce ctizenship it costs for $35. Thats how silly this is. So make it easy for them.

Also talking cash resonates with people across the educational spectrum. It has encouraged childbirth in the West. It immediately tells prospective parents that the Country will cover your costs of your children and co-invest in their future. Cash in the bank is a powerful incentive as it is straight liquid cash. Parents who are facing job displacement do not have to worry too much about their kids at least not as much as now.

[Lillie_Steins]

An excellent idea, bro. I like this approach. We do need something real fast if not nothing recogisable is left.

Yes, the west realised that children are the future of the nation. Society benefits in the future for having children now, hence the subsidising and encouragement of them. I always joke that the SG have used enough of the carrots and should start using the stick. Setup a CPF like fund, for every year a person do not have kids start taxing them a certain amount to be put into this fund. Lets call the Child Bearing fund, CBF. This way, they can only use the fund once the 2nd or third kid is born. If not it would be lumped together with their CPF once they reach retirement age.

[Drugmachine]

The advantages of inviting and encouraging foreigners to change their allegiance from their home country to Singapore are many. Off the top of my head are:

- a working adult that can contribute immediately.

- we do not need to nurture a baby and educate the kid until adulthood

- guaranteed they are healthy

- they have assets already

- they have overseas connections

- etc

[Ifroham4]

Halo Bro, I hope you get paid for your sound advice. It's much better than million dollar hot air.

[Peptobismol]

Its meant to be a joke, but having seen some of the insane policy they instituted I'm surprised they have not gone down this path. I don't think its the right approach though. SG problem of having low child birth rate is multiple. Its cultural as well, not just the social environment.

An excellent idea, bro. I like this approach. We do need something real fast if not nothing recogisable is left.

[Peptobismol]

hahaha...again trying to kay kiang.....
typical myopic views.....obviously cannot see beyond his nose....
the low fertility rate is acute only for certain races......particularly the chinese.
if u walk around, it is common sight to see malay families with 4 or more children in tow......
so if u provide monetary incentives indiscriminately, u are going to encourage the exact things that you do not want......lol.

[radikal]

To encourage right quality in numbers in the right groups, the baby allowance shld be tweaked so that it goes up exponentially from lowest in K, primary edu, to a steep peak towards University level.

Sucking taxes and levies for this fund from businesses that still depend on cheap labour and did nothing on productivity is the socially equitable way to go, besides making economic sense too.

[HedgeYourBets]

Not sure if you guys had any PRC friends. But I think the Ah tiongs are starting to realised that Singapore is not a good destination either. I had a conversation with a PRC couple yesterday, and the conversation turned to me coming from Singapore. The wife asked why I left and the husband replied next that Singapore is too crowded and is not suitable for long term stay at all. I think the MIWs policy of opening the floodgate is reaching a point where the FTs are realising that it is not sustainable.

[9mm_fan]

Instead of using the 1.2 as holy writ, why don't focus on the group that refuse to have children? Hit them where it hurt them most. As for Chinese no giving birth, I find it hard to believe as most of my peer have children. While some have only one but most have two and a few have three. So who are no pulling their weight?

As for Malays breeding like rabbit, it the true in the past but nowadays Malays couple who have education and not caught the religion bug know the advantage of small family so are limiting to three. I know 3 is still a lot but compare to the past of 5-6, that a reduction of half.