Indonesian province dangles cash for men to get vasectomy, in bid to slow population growth

West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi wants men to join in the move to slow population growth, as previous government efforts had mainly involved women. -- PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN

SUBANG, West Java (The Straits Times/ANN): In a first for the country, the authorities in Indonesia’s most populous province of West Java have introduced a new incentive to slow population growth by offering 500,000 rupiah (S$40 - RM132) in cash to men who undergo vasectomies.

The men must be aged 35 and above, are healthy, have fathered at least two children, and have the consent of their wives for the procedure. In West Java, a person is defined as living below the poverty line if he lives on 535,000 rupiah, or lower, a month.