Prime Minister Fumio Kishida wants to have childbirth expenses covered by public health insurance in the future, as part of efforts to create an environment that is more conducive to having children.
The government will establish a system that allows people to use day care facilities on an hourly basis, regardless of their work situation, and introduce preferential interest rates on housing loans to support households with multiple children, Kishida said during an interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun on Wednesday.
Asked why the birth rate remains low, Kishida said: "Young people are not fully optimistic about their future. The reality is that births and marriages have to be pushed to later in life.
