Dear Editor,

It is observed that many young couples want to enjoy their private time without having their own children. They choose to have a pet at home to accompany them. In this essay, I would like to discuss the rationales of this kind of lifestyle and provide solutions to motivate them to raise more children in Hong Kong.

First, it is known that the cost of living in Hong Kong is tremendously high. According to a research, it takes around 4 million to raise a child, which is a great financial burden to parents in Hong Kong. Rather than having a child at home, it is more enjoyable to have a pet at home. Not only can a pet provide happy moments to the family, it also a good companion to the couples. These are the reasons why young couples choose to have a pet at home.

Secondly, there are many worries and apprehensions to be parents in Hong Kong. Parents need to try very hard to help their children secure seats in different stages of learning, ranging from joining playgroups in their infant stage, to getting a university ticket. Parents encounter many fierce competitions from other parents, which explain their hesitations not to have children for their family.

It is worrying that low population of infants is undesirable for the development of a society as infants will become pillars and support when they grow up. They will become the manpower and talents for the sustainable growth of a society. Therefore, the government needs to take actions to boost the birth rate in Hong Kong.

First, the government needs to have active promotions to raise people’s awareness of having babies. Not only should the government advertise more in different kinds of media channels, it also needs to organize workshops targeting young couples to encourage them to give birth to more babies.

Second, the government needs to provide more economic incentives to boost the birth rate. More allowances should be provided to parents as raising a child in Hong Kong is extraordinarily high, such as allowance of new born babies, living allowance and tax reduction. With the economic support, parents may have less burden to raise a child at home.

In conclusion, it is important to know that children are the future pillars of Hong Kong. They will become the driving force for the development of Hong Kong. Without their support, Hong Kong may not be able to survive in the future. Therefore, the government needs to make efforts to increase the birth rate.

Yours faithfully,
Zhan Yichun
HHCKLA Buddhist Ching Kok Secondary School