PM Lee hopes new incentives will bring more babies

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. (AFP PHOTO/POOL/Matt Rourke) 

SINGAPORE: Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong hopes that the new Marriage and Parenthood package announced on Monday by the government will encourage more couples to start planning, and Singapore will see more babies soon.

Writing on his Facebook page, Mr Lee said at last year's National Day Rally, he had floated some ideas to encourage Singaporeans to have more babies. 

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean had announced the enhanced Marriage and Parenthood Package. 

The package will include priority for married couples with children when they book HDB flats for the first time, more generous support for conception and delivery, a bigger Baby Bonus, a new CPF Medisave grant for newborns and one week of government-paid paternity leave.