With the nation’s birthrate hitting a record low last year, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday ordered “national security-level” countermeasures to address the matter.
The crude birthrate, based on the number of childbirths per 1,000 people each year, came in at 0.721 percent last year, compared with 0.829 percent the previous year, data provided by the Ministry of the Interior showed.
The number of newborn babies also struck a record low of 166,886 last year, down from 191,310 in 2009, it said.
The new numbers alarmed Ma when Minister of the Interior Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) gave a preview of the report’s findings last week, media said.
“President Ma said the government must not be idle and demanded that ‘national security-level’ measures be taken,” Jiang said.
Authorities have offered incentives to try to boost the birthrate, amid growing concern that a severe manpower shortage will trigger serious social and economic problems.
The Council for Economic Planning and Development has proposed an annual budget of NT$38 billion (US$1.3 billion) for birth incentives and childcare support from next year, reports said.
Under the plan, parents would be entitled to a minimum monthly subsidy of NT$3,000 for each newborn up until two years old and an annual schooling stipend of NT$30,000 for children aged two to six.
The government hopes to encourage people to have more children during the Year of the Dragon next year, which is considered the most auspicious year in the Lunar zodiac and a favorite birth sign for children, media said.
Ministry officials said some parents were anxious to avoid having children last year — the Year of the Tiger — which, according to traditional belief, is one of the fiercest astrological signs.
Meanwhile, the number of people aged 65 and over accounted for 10.74 percent of the nation’s more than 23 million population, above the 7 percent level at which a society is defined as “ageing” by the WHO, the ministry said.
Childcare and education policies have mostly focused on providing assistance to disadvantaged or low-income families, but have done little to ease the financial strain on the wider public, said the report, which was jointly submitted by five members of the Control Yuan.
The report said Taiwan should emulate Singapore to make childcare and preschool education affordable for the majority of young parents in the country, particularly working parents.
The government watchdog spent a year researching the reasons behind Taiwan’s falling birthrate, which is among the lowest in the world.
Citing figures from the -Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, the report said that in 2009 the average monthly income of employees under the age of 30 was NT$25,028, while for those in the 30-to-34 age group was NT$30,465.
However, for workers in those age groups who were married and living in Taipei City, the cost of daycare for their young children was NT$15,000 to NT$18,000 per month, the 2009 statistics showed.
When spending for milk formula, diapers and other childcare necessities were added, the monthly costs to young parents exceeded NT$20,000, the report said.
Although the monthly cost of public kindergartens averaged NT$5,000 per child, most of these parents could not find a place for their children because there were not enough of them, it said.
About 70 percent of the nation’s preschoolers attended private kindergartens, which cost, on average, NT$10,000 to NT$20,000 per child per month, the report stated. This puts a heavy financial burden on young parents, it said.
Furthermore, most kindergartens do not offer a service that caters to working parents, which deters young couples from having children because they fear a baby would impede their career development, the report said.
Meanwhile, the Control Yuan yesterday said expensive childcare and preschool education were among the major factors contributing to the continued decline in the nation’s birthrate.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old