President William Lai (賴清德) today announced that the government would raise allowances for voluntary military service personnel and combat troops on April 1 during a visit to the air force’s Songshan Base Command in Taipei.
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) recently reviewed five proposals to increase military allowances. The reforms would increase the allowance for personnel in five categories: voluntary military service, combat units, combat air traffic control units, electronic reconnaissance and cyber warfare.
The proposals have already been sent to the Executive Yuan for review.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Allowances for voluntary service personnel would operate on a three-tier system, Lai said.
Non-commissioned officers and officers below the rank of major, plus enlisted soldiers who form the majority of combat units, would see a rise from NT$10,000 to NT$15,000, he said.
Lieutenant colonels and colonels would receive an increase of NT$4,000 while general officers’ allowance would rise by NT$3,000, he added.
The combat unit allowance would also increase, with category one combat units, which undergo the most rigorous training and have the most duties, to see an increase from NT$5,000 to NT$12,000, he said.
Category two combat support units would see a rise from NT$3,000 to NT$7,000, he added.
The new measures would be implemented on April 1, Lai said.
Increasing salaries and benefits for military personnel is a long process that requires lengthy discussions and is not an arbitrary decision, he said.
Lai urged the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to reconsider budget cuts and freezes which would impact the national defense budget, as bipartisan cooperation is needed to support the armed forces.
This week, troops completed Taiwan’s first-ever immediate combat response drills to respond quickly and effectively, strengthening national defense capabilities.
Lai thanked the troops on behalf of the nation for their hard work and commended their excellent performance this week.
As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan is committed to ensuring regional peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific while firmly resisting the expansion of authoritarianism, Lai said.
Taiwan would stand firm as a democratic nation and maintain the current status quo of cross-strait relations, he added.
In this effort, the armed forces are the bedrock of the nation and the hope of the people, he said.
Since taking office, Lai said he has prioritized adjustments to military compensation to ensure troops can balance combat training and family responsibilities.
Facing increasing military threats, officers are tasked with heavier workloads, the ministry said in a statement today, adding that recruitment has been impacted by competition in the employment market and a lowering birth rate.
Young people have been less willing to serve in the military, bringing challenges to military capability, it said.
To strengthen national defense capability and safeguard security in the Taiwan Strait, improving military officers’ pay is not only a short-term means to solve manpower shortage, but also a long-term investment in talent, it said.
Additional reporting by CNA and Fion Khan
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