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| The government will consider introducing a system
to bear all direct costs for childbirth -- including hospitalization for
mothers -- in a bid to encourage young couples to have more kids, a government
minister said Friday.
Kuniko Inoguchi, minister in charge of gender equality and issues related to the country's declining birthrate, made that remark during a regular news conference after a Cabinet meeting. Inoguchi is expected to try to have the new cost-free delivery policy included in a Cabinet policy guideline to be compiled in June by the government to address issues related to the aging society with fewer children. "You can consider this idea in a wide perspective. I will consider (this) idea," Inoguchi told reporters. Under the current national health insurance system, a one-time benefit of 300,000 yen is paid to women giving birth. The government plans to increase that amount to 350,000 yen by submitting a bill to the ordinary Diet session starting later this month. But experts point out actual total costs, including those for health checkups, delivery and hospitalization, average some 450,000 yen. During the general election campaign last fall, New Komeito, the Democratic Party of Japan and the Social Democratic Party separately called for increasing delivery benefits from the public insurance system. Asked for comments on Inoguchi's remark later the same day, Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe showed a positive stance toward the proposal. Issues related to the low birthrate are priority matters for the Cabinet of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Abe told reporters Friday morning. "We have been considering wide-ranging measures, such as those to support child-bearing, improve working conditions and give other economic assistance" to young couples, Abe said. The Japan Times: Jan. 14, 2006 |
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