One year after lifting its long-standing two-child limit, the country is offering incentives for people to have more babies as the communist country risks getting old before it gets rich.
A new population law and regulations which came into effect yesterday extend maternity leave from six to seven months for mothers having a second child as well as offering financial help.
If Hanoi residents Nguyen Kim Bich and her husband have a second child, she will get an extra month of maternity leave, free prenatal screenings and a small cash bonus.
“I could stay at home one more month with the baby, and my husband could stay home some more days,” the 32-year-old said as her young son romped in a colourful pit of plastic balls.
The new regime subsidises prenatal and newborn screenings and establishes one-off cash bonuses of up to US$228 (RM930) – two-thirds of the monthly average salary – for mothers who meet certain criteria.
The change, in a country where communist party members faced sanctions for having a third child until last year, comes as the demographic picture darkens.
Soaring life expectancy and declining birth rates have turned Vietnam into one of the fastest-ageing countries in the world.
These trends reflect the development successes of recent years, but economists warn they could lead to labour shortages and strain the social safety net.
The new population law aims to slow the demographic shift.
But for Bich and her husband Lai, an accountant and advertising professional, the inducements are not enough.
Nearly half their combined US$1,000 (RM4,075) monthly income already goes to raising their first child, and they share a small house with his parents.
“The benefits are nice but not enough. One more month of leave and US$75 (RM305) can never attract us to have a second kid,” she said, citing how much of the bonus she would expect to qualify for.
Vietnam’s preference for two-child families dates back to the 1960s, when communist authorities in the north sought to curb explosive population growth during the war. — AFP
