George Herald | Taiwan's central bank tackles low marriage rate with dating tours

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Taiwan's central bank tackles low marriage rate with dating tours
11:43 (GMT+2), Fri, 11 May 2012

INTERNATIONAL NEWS - Other than setting interest rates and managing foreign reserves, Taiwan's central bank has added the role of matchmaking to its powerful mandate, an official said Friday.

The central bank is organizing tours to several destinations in Taiwan and inviting unmarried employees from some of Taiwan's largest public-and private-sector organizations to sign up, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by dpa.

"We're doing this to support the government's policy of increasing marriage rates," said Wen Chiao-chun, the spokeswoman for the programme.

Participating organizations include the presidential office, the legislature, Chunghwa Telecom Co, Mega International Commercial Bank Co and Hsinchu Science Park, which is home to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co and flat-panel makers AU Optronics Corp and Chimei Innolux Corp.

The tours include a daytrip to launch sky lanterns in New Taipei and an afternoon of speed dating in an upscale Taipei hotel.

The itineraries provide plenty of group activities, plus opportunities for potential couples to split off on their own.

In the invitation, the bank billed the tours as a chance to boost "cooperation" between the public and private sectors.

The programme is the latest in a series of policies that the government has tried implementing to boost marriage and fertility rates, both at critical lows.

Existing programmes include subsidies for child care and fertility treatments as well as cash bonuses per birth.

Government statistics in 2011 showed 25.7 per cent of those in the 30-49 age range have never married.

The low marriage rate also decreased the number of babies being born. At 1.07 births per woman in 2011, Taiwan's fertility rate is far below the 2.1 replacement rate that many demographers have set for a stable population in industrialized countries.

Source : Sapa