Singapore PM tells married Singaporean couples to have babies in the Year of the Dragon.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has encouraged married Singaporean couples to have children in the Year of the Dragon, pledging his government's support. Many Chinese households consider children born in the Year of the Dragon to be very fortunate. He wished Singaporeans good health and a happy Chinese New Year. In his annual Chinese New Year statement, the prime minister stated that his government would create a Singapore built for families while continuing to promote people's marriage and parenting goals. The Prime Minister also pointed out that fertility rates are declining all over the world, especially in developed societies like Singapore. Support for childcare and work-life balance has been steadily strengthened to see parents through their children's formative years, he said. He added that government paid paternity leave had recently been voluntarily doubled from two weeks to four weeks. Singaporeans will celebrate Chinese New Year this weekend.