Flexibly applying the two-child policy, mobilizing each couple to have just one child or two children, and permitting each couple to decide on the number of babies are the three options proposed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a draft population law.
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| The Ministry of Health proposed a draft population law flexibly applying the two-child policy__Photo: Internet |
Under the first option, drafters propose maintaining the current fertility rate as long as possible. Accordingly, each couple would be encouraged to have two children under a flexible policy. Localities where many couples have more than three children would mobilize the couples to give fewer births. Contrarily, in localities with a low birth rate, each couple would be encouraged to have more children.
As for the second option, each couple would be allowed to have only one child or two children. This aims to continue reducing the fertility rate and population growth rate, say drafters.
The third option states that each couple would be allowed to freely decide on the number of babies. However, the State would no longer provide contraceptives free of charge.
Nguyen Van Tan, Deputy Director General of the General Office for Population and Family Planning, said the second option is beneficial to Vietnam - a populous country with a high population density and limited land areas. With this option, couples can better bring up their children, helping reduce spending on social security and slow down the population growth rate. However, when decreased to a certain threshold, the fertility rate would be difficult to rise again, as seen in examples of South Korea and Singapore, he noted.
Meanwhile, the third option makes experts worry about the return of population boom. Hence, based on the country’s population characteristics and size, MOH favors the first option but admits that it would be difficult to encourage couples in localities with a low birth rate to have more children.- (VLLF)
