With a persistently falling birth rate, Singapore's native population is shrinking, threatening to deplete the pool of working-age people and undermining the economic miracle that has dazzled the world for decades. As part of its campaign – launched on a website heybaby.sg – the Government dangled fresh incentives worth S$2bn (US$1.6bn) to encourage would-be couples to reproduce. However, whether throwing money at the problem will work is open to question. Many young Singaporeans have welcomed the cash handouts but point out that the real cost of raising a child is child care. "This is one area in which the package could be criticised, that it may have put a bit too much emphasis on incentives," said SMU Assistant Professor of Law and NMP Eugene Tan. "Essentially it's a question of whether this can actually engender a mindset shift towards marriage and parenthood in general," he added.