Marlena Maląg made the announcement in an interview with public broadcaster Polish Radio on Wednesday.
Maląg told Polish Radio that ever since her governing Law and Justice (PiS) party came to power in 2015, its family policy "has been designed to change the financial situation of families, as well as addressing the low fertility rate.”
Poland’s population is set to fall by some 80,000 to 37.5 million in 2022, state news agency PAP reported.
Maląg said that changing a demographic trend was a long-term process that “cannot be achieved within one term of office.”
'New demographic strategy' in the autumn
She added that the government had drawn up a "new demographic strategy" that “should be adopted in the autumn.”
Maląg stressed that “a number of pro-birth policies are already in place,” such as the 500-plus child benefit programme, the Family Welfare Capital initiative, and help with the costs of nursery care, the PAP news agency reported.
Maląg claimed that previous governments had “neglected family policy,” which "resulted in low numbers of women of childbearing age and fewer parents who can have children," among other trends.
She stated: “By all means we must escape the 'low fertility trap,' but not just through cash support. We also need labour market measures, work-life balance measures.”
Maląg told Polish Radio that the government was "already helping mothers return to work after parental leave."
According to Maląg, working hours must be made more flexible. She noted that Polish lawmakers were working on a bill to regulate telework, and added that "there will be further changes when the European Union’s 'parental' directive is implemented” to ensure the work-life balance of employees.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, polskieradio24.pl
Click on the audio player above for a report by Radio Poland's Michał Owczarek.