Legislators yesterday proposed enacting a basic law to address the nation’s dwindling birthrate.

The proposed legislation would define the roles that the government, and business and civil groups would have in tackling the issue — an approach that its sponsors believe would give the matter needed legal specificity.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉), who proposed the bill, along with sponsors and fellow DPP legislators Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑), Lai Hui-yuan (賴惠員) and Loh Meei-ling (羅美玲), announced the bill at a news conference at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei.

Taiwan last year registered a decline in population for the first time, and in the first half of this year recorded 6.46 percent fewer births than in the same period last year, Lai said.

Considering next year is the inauspicious Year of the Tiger, Lai said that the birthrate would likely fall even lower, necessitating legislative action as soon as possible.

The bill is a direct result of a public hearing held by Chiu in February to ascertain from experts and officials the reasons behind the nation’s population woes and potential solutions.

The main takeaways were suggestions to set up a Cabinet-level task force and pass dedicated legislation to address the problem, Chiu said.

The government currently tasks individual agencies with setting their own policy, a strategy that lacks coordination as well as oversight, he said.

There is no standard for evaluating performance, nor is the legal system effectively utilized, he said.

Based on Japan’s 2003 Basic Act for Measures to Cope With Society With Declining Birthrate, the bill aims to clearly define the rights and responsibilities of various groups, including different levels of government, and business and civil organizations, Chiu said.

The Japanese law has helped boost that nation’s birthrate, but a lack of coordination in Taiwan has stymied the efforts of individual agencies, Loh said.

According to the draft, the Executive Yuan would be required to coordinate different agencies, as well as give an annual report to the legislature on results, while holding local governments accountable for implementing policies.

The policies called for in the bill include a sound public and quasi-public childcare environment, subsidies for fertility treatments and measures to reduce the financial burden of child rearing, such as childcare subsidies, and healthcare, preferential housing and tax incentives.

The bill would also provide a legal basis for agencies to budget for related policy.

Childcare is the most pressing issue facing parents today, Hsu said.

Even though the number of quasi-public preschools is on the rise, they still only account for less than 60 percent of all preschools nationwide, he said.

Population policy must start in the public sector, Hsu added.