SINGAPORE — The allowance for full-time national servicemen (NSF) and operationally ready national servicemen (NSmen) will be raised by between S$70 and S$120 across all ranks from March onwards.

Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How announced the move in Parliament on Monday (March 2) during his ministry’s Committee of Supply debate.

With the move, all national servicemen in the Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) will see a bump in their allowance, which is meant to support them in their basic personal upkeep.

The NS allowance is reviewed periodically and was last raised in 2015 when the rank allowance was increased by S$80.

The latest increment includes both the rank allowance and vocational allowance components.

In recognition of the different vocational demands they perform, all national servicemen will receive a vocation allowance of at least S$50, as part of the revised NS allowance.

On top of the NS rank allowance, those deployed in combat vocations in the SAF get combat allowances. Similarly, those in frontline vocations in SPF and SCDF also get operational allowances. 

From this month, the combat and operational allowances will be replaced by a vocation allowance, which will be up to S$100 more. 

The revision means that a recruit going into national service will receive a monthly allowance of S$630, up from the current S$560.

An SAF NSF naval diver, SPF NSF Police Tactical Trooper or SCDF NSF firefighter holding the rank of corporal will receive a monthly allowance of S$1,050, up from the S$930 he currently receives.