TOKYO, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Tokyo metropolitan government plans to provide households in the Japanese capital with a monthly allowance of 5,000 yen (about 38 U.S. dollars) per child aged up to 18, in a bid to address the falling birthrate in the country, local media reported Thursday.
In an attempt to halt the rapidly declining birthrate, the plan will cover around 1.93 million children who are currently eligible for the monthly subsidy, regardless of their household income, starting from fiscal 2023, according to Kyodo News.
The metropolitan government is considering securing the necessary funds for the planned benefits under its budget for fiscal 2023, which starts in April, said the report.
Noting that the number of births in 2022 was projected to dip below 800,000 for the first time and 11 years earlier than expected, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said in her New Year address Wednesday that it is a shocking situation that shakes the very foundations of society.
"We can afford no further delay. Tokyo will take the lead in creating specific measures," Koike said. ■