《TAIPEI TIMES》 Lawmakers pass reservist bonuses for extra training

By Wu Su-wei and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer

The Legislative Yuan on Friday passed the third reading of a new bill that would award bonuses to reservists who undergo additional training.

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Under the bill, reservists would receive a bonus for each training session they attend after the fifth session, and their employer could deduct 150 percent of the reservist’s regular salary during the additional sessions from their taxes.

The bill is to take effect on Jan. 1 next year.

“The war in Ukraine has shown us the importance of mobilizing reservists, and of the participation of all citizens in national defense,” Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng （邱國正） said.

The bonuses are meant to complement the reservists’ 14-day training schedule introduced in March, he said, adding that the policy aims to encourage reservists to pursue further training, while minimizing the impact of their absence on employers.

Regulations on which reservists are to be eligible for additional training and the bonuses, as well as other specifics related to the bill, are to be drafted by the Ministry of National Defense and sent to the Cabinet for approval, he said.

Under the bill, reservists would also have their fees waived if they seek treatment at any Tri-Service General Hospital or Armed Forces General Hospital branch in the year following a completed training session or military service.

During that year, reservists could also stay at any Hero House location and shop at the ministry’s General Welfare Service outlets.

Also on Friday, a resolution was passed requiring the ministry to each year release a list of the reservists to be called up for training the following year.

The resolution stipulates that reservists who are not called up in a given year, but who want to volunteer for additional training receive the same benefits and bonuses.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES