Taipei Times
Date: Nov 11, 2018
By: Lo Tien-pin and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer
Minister of National Defense Yen De-fa (嚴德發) has submitted plans to give
An army special forces team performs a drill in an undated picture.
Photo provided by Army Command Headquarters
combat troops additional seniority-based bonuses to the Executive Yuan’s Directorate-General of Personnel Administration, a source said yesterday.
The ministry is lobbying lawmakers and members of the Cabinet to support the scheme, which is designed to boost morale, increase troop retention and improve combat proficiency, the source said on condition of anonymity.
The law defines combat troops as service members deployed with a Category I or II unit, who receive a monthly combat arms bonus.
Combat arms bonuses this year are to cost the government an estimated NT$3.71 billion (US$120.4 million) and the implementation of the new scheme would increase that budget by NT$1.26 billion to NT$4.95 billion, assuming that combat troop strength remains at 75,000, a report prepared by the ministry for the Executive Yuan said. [FULL STORY]
