TwoprofessorsputforwardaproposalinanarticlepublishedintheXinhuaDailyrecently,suggestingthatthecountryshouldimmediatelyremoveallbirthlimitsinresponsetoasharplydecliningbirthrate.Theyproposedestablishingafertilityfundthatwouldbeestablishedbydeductingmoneyfromthemonthlysalariesofcitizensundertheageof40untiltheyhavetwochildren.Oncetheyhavetheirsecondchildtheycanwithdrawfromthefundandreceiveanadditionalsubsidyfromthegovernment.Iftheydonothaveasecondchild,theycanonlywithdrawtheirpaymentsaftertheyretire.
Theirproposalwasquicklycriticized.Mostpeoplebelievetheso-calledfertilityfundisapretenceforextractingmoneyfromthepublic,orafineonthosewhodon鈥檛haveasecondchild.Theysaythatitisaprivateissueandtoimposefundpaymentsoncitizensisbreachingtheirpersonalrights.Somethinkthatthestateshouldnotchargefees,butinsteadprovidetaxincentivesandotherfavorablepoliciestomorerealisticallysubsidizefamilies.Yetotherpeoplebelievethetwoprofessors鈥檚uggestionshouldnotbetotallydismissed,astheyonlymeanttohelpsolvetheissueandnotangerthepublic.
Incentivesnotpunishment
LiPengguo(www.rednet.cn):Thepublicrefusestohaveasecondchildbecausetheyarealreadystrainedbythehugepressuresofraisingonechild.Itisalrightforthestatetoencouragepeopletogivebirthtoasecondchildtosustaineconomicdevelopment,butitisridiculoustoimposedeductionsonsalariesfortheso-calledfertilityfundasameanstoforcepeopletohaveasecondchild.
Whetherornottohaveasecondchildisacitizen鈥檚privatebusinessandafreedomthatnoonecanstripaway.Mostcountrieswithalowbirthrate鈥攏otablydevelopedcountries鈥攖rytoencouragechildbirththroughtaxincentivesandcashbonusestosubsidizefamiliesduringchildraising.Onthecontrary,thetwoprofessorsproposedtoforcefamiliestohavechildrenthroughfinesandpunishment.
Moreimportantly,havingasecondchildisnotsomethingthatisaffordableforeveryfamily.TheworkandtroubleofraisingachildinChina鈥檚bigcitiesmaybeoneofthemostdifficultontheplanetduetohighhouseprices.
Theprofessors,enjoyingrelativelyhighsalaries,housesandcars,cannotfeelthepainofordinarypeoplewhoarestrugglingtosurvive.Theytakeitforgrantedthatordinarypeoplecanraisechildrenaseasilyastheycan.Itisbecausetheyarenotstandingonthesamelevelasordinarypeoplethattheyproposethisnonsenseasasolutionforthelowbirthrateissue.
LiangJianzhang(www.ifeng):Whatweshoulddoisrewardthosewhohaveasecondchild,notpunishthosewhodonot.Topunishthroughfine-likesalarydeductionsistoaddeconomicpressureonfamilies.TheChinesepopulationneedstoseeareductioninitseconomicburden,sincetaxationisalreadyveryhigh鈥攊ncludingsocialsecurityandmedicalinsurance鈥攚iththetaxtoGDPratiorising.Thishelpstoexplainwhytheproposalofafertilityfundiswidelycriticized.
Bothsalarydeductionsforafertilityfundfromthepopulationunder40andcollectionfeesfromdouble-income-no-kidfamiliesasaso-calledsocialcaretax,aretryingtoforcepeopletohavemorechildrenthantheywant.Nationalpolicyshouldneithercurbchildbirthnorforcepeopletohavechildren.
Inmostlowbirthratecountries,thewaytoencouragechildbirthisthroughtaxincentivesandcashbonuses.Somecountriesspend2-5percentoftheirannualGDPonchildrearing.Incontrast,ordinaryChinesefamiliesaregroaningunderthepressureofraisingchildren,notonlybecauseofrocketinghouseprices,butalsobecauseofheavyworkpressureonChinesewomen.Asaresult,Chinamayhavethelowestnaturalbirthrateintheworld.Thecountryshouldatleastspend2-5percentofitsannualGDPonchildrearing,equalto1.6to4trillionyuan($233to$582.7billion).Thissoundslikealargesum,butwhendistributedtomorethan200millionchildrenaroundthecountry,everyonewillhaveaccesstoalittlemorethan10,000yuan($1,456)ayear,whichisasmallfractionofthecostofachild鈥檚upbringing.LISHIGONGTaxincentivesorcashbonusesforfamilieswithmorethanonechildareactuallytaxestransferredfromothertaxpayerstothesefamilies.Isthisafairpractice?Inmodernsociety,acountry鈥檚pensionandeducationexpendituresareactuallytaxescollectedfromtheworkingpopulation.Generallyspeaking,pensionandseniorcareexpensesfaroutweighthoseofeducation.Whentakingcareoftheelderlyismadeasocialprogram,itmeansthatyoungpeople鈥檚salarieswillbeusedtosupportallseniorcitizens,includingthosewhodonothavechildren.Tohavemorechildrenmeansthatinthefuturemoreyoungpeoplewillcontributetothepensionpool,sointhissense,toaskthewholesocietytosharetheburdenofchildraisingisfair.
Asforhowtoencouragechildbirth,therearemanymethods.Forexample,therecanbeadeductionorwaiverofsocialsecuritypaymentsforthesefamilies.Personalincometaxreductionsandcashbonusescanalsosubsidizechildrearing.Equallyimportantisrationaleducationalresourceplanninganddistribution.Nurseryservicesandinfantcareshouldallbecoveredbycompulsoryfreeeducation.Maternalleaveshouldalsobeextendedwhileawoman鈥檚righttoworkshouldbeprotectedduringandafterherleave.Inaddition,fathersshouldbegrantedpaternityleavetosharetheburdenoftakingcareofthenewbornbaby,whichwillalsohelpdiminishdiscriminationagainstwomeninthelabormarket.
Notacompletelynewidea
MaGuangyuan(www.sina.cn):Afertilityfundbasedondeductionsfrommonthlysalariesisequaltoafine.Whatashamelessproposal.Itisimportanttorelaxcontrolonchildbirth,butbynomeansshouldthisbeusedasanewexcusetocollectmoneyfromthepublic.
However,thisridiculousproposalmakessomesense.Inthepast,extrabirthswerefined.Thus,thisfundmuststillexistsomewhere,astherehasbeennoannouncementthatithasbeenspentonprogramsyet.Now,sincechildbirthisencouraged,thisfundshouldplayaroleinthenewera.Thosewhohaveasecondchildshouldberewardedwithsomecash,butthosewhodonotshouldnothavetheirsalariesdeducted.
SunJianbo(baijiahao.baidu):Theauthorsproposeofferingcashbonusestofamilieswithtwochildren,insteadoffiningone-childfamilies.Itisakindofhousingaccumulationfund-liketaxreliefarrangement.Ifcitizensgetasalarydeduction,theycanreceiveinterestfromthisincomeandthispartoftheirsalarywillnotbetaxed.
Evensomescholarshavelashedoutattheideaofafertilityfund.Iguesstheyhavenotreadthearticlethoroughlyenough.Theymusthavemisunderstoodtheproposalassimplycollectingmoneyfromthepublic.
Actually,wealreadyhaveaformoffertilityfundinmaternityinsurance,whichispaidbyemployers.Maternitybenefitscomefromthisinsurancefund.Asforthefertilityfundproposedbytheprofessors,manypeoplewilchooseitasawaytoavoidtaxationevenifnotforcedto.Inanycase,thepaymentcanbeextractedonedayfromthefund,muchmoreworthwhilethanordinaryinsuranceprograms.
AsfarasIamconcerned,Idonotsupportthisfund.Ifthepaymentislarge,nocompanieswillwanttoemploywomen,asthefundwillposeabigfinancialburdenonemployers.
Asfortheprofessorswhoputforwardtheideaofafertilityfund,theydonotmeantohurtanyone,butaretryingtodosomethinggoodforthecountry.Mostofthenegativecommentsarebasedonanincompletereadingofthearticle.Itwilldiscouragescholarsfromputtingforwardtheirtrueideasiftheyarealwaysbristledtheminutetheypostsomewhatprovocativearticles.Discussionsanddebateismuchbetterthanthecurrentcriticismoftheproposal.
CopyeditedbyRebecaToledo
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