Decision on babies a personal matter, say family planners
Having children is a personal decision and government policy should not interfere in it, the Family Planning Association said yesterday.
Couples themselves should decide whether to have children and how many, the association's executive director, Susan Fan Yun-sun, said.
'Administrative measures or policy should not be used to interfere, as having babies is a personal matter,' she said.
Chief Secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, who heads the Taskforce on Population Policy, on Monday urged couples to have at least three children to 'help alleviate the ageing population'.
Hong Kong's birth rate was the lowest in the world at 0.94 children per woman of child-bearing age in 2003. It is understood that last year's rate, to be announced in the next few months, was about 0.8.
Responding to Mr Tsang's comments, Dr Fan urged married couples to think carefully before having babies.