Lawmakers pass reservist bonuses for extra trainingBy Wu Su-wei and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Legislative Yuan on Friday passed the third reading of a new bill that would award bonuses to reservists who undergo additional training. 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. Photo: Sam Yeh, AFP“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. 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.
