Hong Kong should go beyond HK$20,000 handout for newborns and bring in major education and housing reforms to boost birth rate, population expert says

Hong Kong should look beyond a reported move to pay couples HK$20,000 (US$2,555) for each newborn, a population expert has said, arguing major reforms in education and housing are needed to convince residents the city is an ideal place to raise children.

Chou Kee-lee, chair professor of social policy at the Education University of Hong Kong, on Friday said the government needed to do more than offer cash handouts to reverse sliding birth rates ahead of the chief executive’s policy address next week.