[SingViet]

SINGAPORE: The Singapore government is taking a comprehensive look at its population policies in view of the country's changing demographics.

Even as it does this, it is introducing measures to better help parents with the cost of raising a child and helping foreign spouses sink their roots here.

Speaking in Parliament during the Committee of Supply Debate for the Prime Minister's Office, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean announced enhancements to the Child Development Account.

Under the scheme introduced in 2001, parents set up a deposit account for their child.

The government matches the deposit one-for-one, up to a cap of S$18,000 per child, depending on the child's birth order.

The money can be used for the developmental needs of the child, up to age six, in areas such as child care, kindergarten and health care.

The enhanced scheme will expend the scope of this account to cover expenses at pharmacies, opticians as well as assistive technology devices for children with disabilities.

The account will also last the child up till the age of 12.

The changes will be implemented in the second half of this year.

Another announcement - the introduction of a Long Term Visit Pass Plus (LTVP+) for foreign spouses of Singaporeans, especially those with Singapore children.

The new pass will be introduced from April 1, 2012.

Currently, most foreign spouses who have yet to be granted Permanent Residency or citizenship, qualify for a Long Term Visit Pass.

Under the new Long Term Visit Pass Plus, they will have greater certainty of stay.

The new pass will last for three years in the first instance and up to five years for each subsequent renewal, instead of the current shorter periods of typically one year.

Holders of the new pass will also receive health care subsidies for inpatient treatment at public hospitals, pegged at a level close to that for PRs.

That is, about the same rate as PRs even though they have not yet been granted PR status.

Holders of the Long Term Visit Pass Plus will also find it easier to work to supplement the family income.

They need only get a Letter of Consent from the Manpower Ministry to work.

This can be obtained easily online.

To qualify for the new pass, factors such as the length of marriage and whether there are citizen children in the family will be considered.

Even as Mr Teo announced new initiatives, he stressed on the need for Singapore to attract new immigrants.

He described 2012 as a "demographic tipping point" for Singapore.

That's because the first cohort of post-war Baby Boomers, that is those born between 1947 and 1965, will start turning 65 from this year.

So Mr Teo said, from now till 2030, Singapore will experience an "unprecedented age shift, as over 900,000 Baby Boomers, more than a quarter of the current citizen population, retire from the workforce and enter their silver years.

Mr Teo said at the current birth rates and without immigration, more than 1 in 4 citizens will be aged 65 and over in 2030.

The median age of Singapore citizens will rise to 47 from 39 today.

And to 53, post 2030.

Fewer working adults will also support citizens aged 65 and above.

While those entering the working-age pool will shrink.

"Without immigration, we will face a shrinking workforce and the prospect of a shrinking economy. This challenging situation is compounded by the need to support a significantly larger elderly population at the same time," said Mr Teo.

Mr Teo said the most critical long term issue is to "develop a sustainable population strategy that will maintain the vitality of Singapore, strengthen our harmonious multi-ethnic society, and enable Singaporeans to achieve their life aspirations".

To this end, the National Population and Talent Division will release a White Paper in the fourth quarter of this year setting out the issues important to Singaporeans and strategies for a sustainable population.

The division will consult various stakeholders over the course of the year.

- CNA/cc

Good news for many brothers here who have Viet Spouse.