Conscripts in Taiwan have expressed mixed reactions over a significant pay raise announced by President Tsai Ing-wen (???) on Tuesday after the government decided to extend compulsory military service from the current four months to one year.
At a press event Tuesday, Tsai said the decision to extend the compulsory military service period was a tough one, but it had to be made “for the sustainable development and survival of Taiwan” given that it takes more than four months to train a qualified solider.
Tsai also promised to increase the monthly salary of conscripts, from the current starting salary of NT$6,510 (US$212) to NT$20,320, to make sure they earn enough to cover their basic daily expenses.
The military also spends NT$5,987 a month on insurance coverage and food for each conscript, regardless of their length of service, which when added to salary would come to NT$26,307 per month for conscripts who will serve a full year.
The move will affect conscripts who were born on Jan. 1, 2005 and after and will take effect starting Jan. 1, 2024. The military estimated that 9,127 conscripts will serve one year in the program’s first year.
Asked to comment on the decision, a high school student surnamed Chen (?) who was born in 2006 and will likely be required to do a full year of military service, told CNA the extension of the military service period was anticipated in recent months and the announcement was not a total surprise.
None of his classmates were talking about the service extension. “I suspect it’s because there’s no escape [from the extension], so whatever,” he said.
Asked if he believed the pay raise was a good incentive for the longer service period, Chen said it meant nothing to him because “serving in the military means losing my freedom.”
Another high school student surnamed Su (?), who was born in 2007, disagreed, telling CNA that he believed one year of military service was somewhat “acceptable.”
“Four months are too short [for training], and one year could be more sufficient,” he said.
Su said the starting salary of more than NT$20,000 was also acceptable. “After all, one might not be able to find a higher paying job with a college degree.”
For those who have already completed their mandatory service, the pay raise for conscripts represents “belated justice.”
A man surnamed Wang (?), who did his military service in Taoyuan, told CNA that he spent most of his NT$6,000-plus salary to pay back NT$5,000 per month in student loans.
To save money, Wang, who lives in New Taipei, said he had to ride his scooter to travel to and from his military base in Taoyuan.
Others serving with him who lived in southern Taiwan spent almost all of their monthly pay on travel and daily expenses, he said, calling the pay increase “belated justice.”
Another man surnamed Mai (?) who served one year in a Hsinchu armored brigade during his service period also applauded the decision, saying it will help conscripts save money for emergencies.
Meanwhile, Han Gan-ming (???), a research fellow at the Taiwan government-funded Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), said he believed the raise would make conscripts affected by the longer period of service less angry and give them more incentive to serve.
Su Tzu-yun (???), Han’s colleague in the INDSR, said the government did its best to offer a significant pay raise as it announced the service extension, which should be applauded.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel