Ko Wen-je proposes maternity leave ext., pregnancy subsidies

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan People's Party (TPP) presidential candidate Ko Wen-je proposed several policies during a press conference on Tuesday (Nov. 7), including extending maternity leave and offering a "pregnancy subsidy" of NT＄50,000 to each expectant mother. 

Once the child is born, families will receive an additional subsidy of NT＄100,000 to help with the child's upbringing.

In addition, Ko announced plans to establish a "Population Development Committee" within the Executive Yuan. He also stressed the need for a communication platform between various governmental departments, such as the Ministry of Education (MOE), Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), and the Ministry of Labor (MOL), to combine resources and solve the issue of Taiwan's low birth rate.

Ko also advocated for an increase in public childcare facilities and a raise in salaries for public preschool teachers and personnel to improve the quality of the employment environment for childcare workers.

The National Development Council (NDC) predicts that by 2070, Taiwan's population could be halved due to low birth rates and an increasing aging population, further burdening society and the younger generations. Taiwan's birth rate in 2022 was slightly higher than South Korea's, ranking it amongst the lowest globally at 0.8.

Ko attributed the low birth rate to delayed marriages and a declining fertility rate, leading to a decrease in newborns each year. He emphasized that the low birth rate had become a security issue for Taiwan, causing labor shortages and challenges in school recruitment.