Increase in fertility rate depends families receiving political assistance
The Conference on Population will take place this week at the University of Hong Kong. Antonio Golini was invited to share his experience of dealing with Italy’s low birth rate. Of all the proposals, the premises for paternity leave.
Hong Kong (AsiaNews/Agencies) – To combat the low infertility rate – in Hong Kong, as in Italy – decisive politics are needed, “a global approach that seeks to create a favorable work atmosphere for families, that provides economic incentives and encourages immigration.”
The core problem with Hong Kong’s birth rate is being debated in a conference on population this week at the University of Hong Kong. Antonio Golini, demographer for the University of Rome, was invited by the University of Hong Kong to share his experience of dealing with Italy's low fertility rate.Golini underlined the problem, which is present in Hong Kong and in Italy: in Hong Kong it is 0,7, in Italy nearly 1,2.
Antonio Golini, Italian representative at the United Nations Commission for Population and Development confirmed, “ Hong Kong’s population will not increase if it relies on immigrants without convincing families to have more children. The more rapid the decline in the fertility rate, the more rapid and intense the ageing of the population."
The expert, acting as a consultant for the low birth rate project, which is commissioned by the government of Hong Kong, said that the government should operate on more fronts: increasing the fertility rate, encouraging immigration and maintaining a stable, short-term labour force such as domestic helpers.
Speaking about the situation in Italy, Golini said 55% of the population is over 60 years of age and last year, families spent round 8 billion euros hiring 800 thousand helpers from eastern Europe to attend to the elderly.
Golini sustains that a tax allowance is necessary, but not sufficient. Hong Kong has allowed excess immigration: in 2005, fifty-thousand immigrants were counted against the local population's natural growth figure of 18,000 in the same year.
Another aspect is the possibility of giving the father “paternity leave.” In other words, giving also him, the rights associated with maternity. This creates a work atmosphere that meets the families’ needs, which could be a determining factor in the decision to augment the family nucleus.
Paternity for state workers and benefits, such as specially priced tickets to participate in family activities at museums, music events and sports activities, are proposals that the Council for Sustainable Development will submit in light of the ageing population.
According to Wong Siu-lun, representative of the Council, the report, to be submitted to the government before June, would focus on four areas: the declining fertility rate, manpower, ageing population and quality of life.
The problem is that few measures have been recommended to change the immigration policy because the State has not reached consensus on this. A member of the group, Paul Yip Siu-fai, director of the Centre of Suicide Research and Prevention at the University of Hong Kong, said the social environment had to be shaped to allow change.Referring to the 10 thousand euro- which is a small step- as an allowance for newborns proposed in the budget: “The report should urge the government to adopt a holistic approach that provides a family-friendly working environment, financial incentives and that encourages immigrants. It is not easy to raise a child. The government should increase the tax allowance for people having children.”
Very few companies are ready to grant paternity leave. Of those participating, Standard Chartered Bank gives five days and CLP Power three days.
The Census and Statistics Department has projected that by 2033 there will be 428 people aged 65 or over for every 1,000 in the workforce. But Wong affirmed that “this will require more political will from the government”.
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