Taipei: Amendments to the Pay Act of the Armed Forces will cost an estimated NT$30 billion (US$1.03 billion) in additional annual personnel expenditure, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced Tuesday. The changes, which passed a third reading in the Legislative Yuan on June 10 and were formally promulgated by the Office of the President on June 27, aim to raise compensation for both volunteer and conscripted servicepersons.
According to Focus Taiwan, the revised law increases monthly allowances for volunteer servicepersons from the current range of NT$13,000-NT$15,000 to NT$30,000. For conscripted servicepersons, the new law mandates that total monthly compensation must now meet or exceed the minimum wage defined under the Minimum Wage Act. Currently, a conscripted second-class private in the military earns NT$22,000 per month, the MND stated.
The ministry is committed to implementing the law in accordance with legal procedures and Executive Yuan directives. Major General Kao Chih-hsiung from the MND’s Department of Resource Planning noted that the NT$30 billion figure reflects the estimated total increase in personnel expenditure following the pay adjustments. He mentioned that salary adjustments for conscripted servicepersons are still under review and will be executed according to the law.
The MND is collaborating with the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) to finalize the changes and incorporate them into upcoming budget plans. Lieutenant General Sun Li-fang, the MND’s spokesperson and director of the ministry’s political affairs office, highlighted that the government has already implemented pay increases for volunteer servicepersons and combat units. Additionally, boarding privilege measures are set to be rolled out in July, with further measures in the pipeline.
According to Sun, these efforts by the government underline its respect for servicepersons and acknowledge their roles. He also noted that recruitment and retention figures have improved this year compared to last year.