Bundles of joy for first 700 receiving baby bonus

More than HK$15 million will be paid to more than 700 families with babies born in the first month of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu's HK$20,000 one-off baby bonus aimed at boosting the birth rate.

Lee announced in his policy address last month that the cash bonus will be given to each baby born on or after October 25 in Hong Kong.

The Immigration Department told Sing Tao Daily, sister publication of The Standard, that it has received 761 applications for the bonus as of last Monday.

Most eligible parents filed the application while registering their baby's birth and applying for a birth certificate, the department said.

It handled 2,806 birth registrations between October 25 and last Monday. Parents can register the birth of their baby within 42 days of delivery.

Babies born before October 25 are not eligible for the bonus.

The government will apply for funding from the Legislative Council early next year and eligible parents may receive the bonus in the first quarter. Parents who apply after Legco grants the fund are expected to receive the money in two to three weeks following their application.

Lawmaker Rebecca Chan Hoi-yan said the bonus is a "gift" to the first group of parents who got pregnant before the government announced the policy on October 25.

Although the bonus is not the major incentive to have babies, the money is still most welcome for couples, she said.

Chan said the government could invite parents who received the bonus to share how they would use the money.

She also appealed to authorities to cater to the needs of parents with only one child and help solve their child-care problems so that they would feel comfortable having another kid.

When asked if the government's application will be approved by Legco, Chan said most lawmakers support the policy and some may even advise the government to increase the bonus.

New People's Party's lawmaker Eunice Yung Hoi-yan, the first sitting legislator to give birth, suggested that the government devise more measures to support families with newborns, including establishing a breast milk bank by 2025.

"Many mothers could not breastfeed their children due to a blocked duct. A breast milk bank would ease their concerns," she said.

Lee also announced in the policy address that the Hospital Authority will increase its quota for assisted reproductive services from 1,100 to 1,800 per year within the next five years.

Currently 1,200 couples receive assisted reproductive services per year, it added.

But they have to wait seven-and-a-half months to 12 months to receive a subfertility assessment and another four to seven months to receive treatment, meaning couples may need to wait as long as 19 months to receive assisted reproductive services.

Chan said public hospitals are suffering from manpower shortages and the situation may not improve within the next 10 years.

She called on the government to collaborate with private hospitals to subsidize part of the cost, so that couples can receive services as soon as possible.