KUANTAN: The Pahang Pride Kid incentive will be increased by RM100 to RM300 next year in order to encourage the birth rate in the state.

       Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail said the birth rate was still low, even though Pahang was the largest state in the peninsular.

       "Just last year, there were only about 25,000 births recorded. Up to date this year, there have only been some 6,000 births in Pahang.

       "Is the RM200 incentive not enough? Because of the low birth rate, I would like to announce that the RM200 incentive will be increased to RM300 next year," he said at the launch of the Pahang Pride Kid programme here on Thursday (June 2).

       Wan Rosdy said this announcement was after considering the good revenue collection for the state so far.

       He said the programme would be expanded to include Pahang babies with parents from other states as well.

       The RM200 amount for the Pahang Pride Kid programme this year would be dished out in the form of RM100 in bank savings and the rest in items for baby care and the mother's postpartum confinement.

       Up to RM5mil had been allocated for the programme, which was announced during the tabling of the state budget last year.

       Besides the incentive, Wan Rosdy said the state government would also implement the "one baby, one tree" programme as a symbolic gesture to celebrate each birth.

       The effort to conserve the environment would be carried out with collaboration from the state Forestry Department and with a RM250,000 contribution from Bank Rakyat to purchase the saplings.