Dr Jane Lee, MH, JP, is president of Our Hong Kong Foundation and founding CEO of Hong Kong Policy Research Institute.
Hong Kong’s efforts to boost the number of newborns in the city should be considered in the context of talent retention relating to Hong Kong’s liveability.
When the Census and Statistics Department reported in August that births in Hong Kong had fallen by an annualised 15.6 per cent to a historic low of fewer than 30,000, it injected a sharp sense of urgency into public discussions as Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu prepared to deliver his policy address.
The government addressed concerns with 11 measures to raise the birth rate. They include extending the HK$20,000 (US$2,500) baby bonus for newborns, increasing tax incentives for families with more than one child, raising mortgage caps and lowering stamp duty for households raising children, and strengthening after-school care.