Mandatory military service will be shortened by two months beginning in January, and conscripts will be able to begin their service a year earlier, at age 19, Premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) said yesterday.
Hsieh made the announcement at a military base in Taichung County.
Under the current rules, conscripts are called to start their 18-month compulsory military service when they turn 20 years old. For those who are still in school, service can be postponed until they finish their studies.
Reduced
Under the new policy, mandatory military service will be reduced to 16 months.
Under the amended Military Service Law (
"The old rule creates problems for those boys who do not continue their education, because most employers will not hire them even if they want to work," Hsieh said.
High unemployment
Senior high school graduates often need to wait one year before they can start their military service and it is difficult for them to find a job during that short period of time.
This situation has resulted in a high unemployment rate among young people and increased social costs, officials at the agency added.
Wasted time
"So those who hope to begin to work will not waste time anymore. They can begin their military service earlier, finish earlier and then begin to work earlier as well," the premier said.
He said that current regulations waste the precious time of young men.
The Conscription Agency said the new policy will benefit 30,000 conscripts every year and facilitate their career planning.
Staff shortages
Ministry of National Defense spokesman Liu Chih-chien (劉志堅) said that the ministry has started to make staff adjustments to cope with a possible shortage as a result of the large number of servicemen set to be discharged from the military in January.
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