VAC to propose supporting measures for voluntary military service

ROC Central News Agency

2012/03/12 20:54:06

Taipei, March 12 (CNA) The Cabinet-level Veterans Affairs Commission (VAC) will soon propose supporting measures for a voluntary military service system that will replace the existing compulsory system in 2015, Veterans Affairs Minister Tseng Jing-ling said Monday.

The draft measures will prioritize veterans' education and employment to facilitate their transition from military to civilian life rather than on offering medical and home care, Tseng said at a legislative committee meeting.

The commission, which was originally designed to take care of veterans who defended the country during World War II and the Chinese Civil War, will undergo a transformation, Tseng said.

Tseng noted that the commission's proposal on the supporting measures, which will offer veterans benefits and services based on their retirement levels and classifications, are expected to be sent to the full Cabinet for review in April.

The VAC hopes to give some preference to veterans who want to work for the government as public servants or reserve some openings for them in civil service examinations, Tseng said.

Based on the principles of equality, however, the public is unlikely to accept the plan offering preferential exams to veterans, responded ruling Kuomintang Legislator Lin Yu-fang.

Lin also suggested that the measures proposed by the VAC should be modest in scope because a generous plan may result in too heavy a fiscal burden.

(By Justin Su and Hanna Liu)
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