More NSmen will benefit from new incentives

SINGAPORE — More monetary incentives will be offered to a wider pool of national servicemen to recognise their service to the country, Senior Minister of State for Defence Ong Ye Kung announced on Thursday (April 7).

From April 1, the Family Recognition Voucher Scheme, renamed the National Service (NS) Excellence Award, has been extended to the top 30 per cent of operationally ready servicemen (NSmen) for good performance during their in-camp trainings and NS courses: The top 10 per cent will receive S$200, while the next 20 per cent will receive S$100 worth of vouchers. 

Before the enhancements, the voucher was awarded only to the top 10 per cent of NSmen.

Celebratory gifts, in the form of S$100 vouchers, will be presented to NSmen when they get married or welcome a new child into their families.

The new SAFRA Punggol club and its recreational facilities, to be completed by the end of this month, will also serve about 82,000 NSmen and their families in the north-east district of Singapore.

The club, which cost S$64.4 million to develop, will feature Singapore’s first indoor water playground, a cycling and rollerblading rental kiosk, and the largest gym in the Punggol estate.

In the latter part of the year, basic life and personal accident insurance coverage for NSmen will be enhanced to cover all incidents during full-time NS and operationally ready NS activities.
 
Each serviceman will be covered for S$150,000 in group term life and group personal accident insurance.

Such forms of recognition are important to let NSmen know that their sacrifices are appreciated, Mr Ong said. 

“But ultimately, the best reward for national servicemen is that together, we keep Singapore peaceful and our families safe,” he added.

To step up professional and personal development for its servicemen, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is working with the Workforce Development Agency to accredit leadership and vocational skills learnt during NS, such as for the military police, paramedics and aircraft technicians. 

The SAF will also do more to consider servicemen’s skills during deployment, while balancing operational requirements, Mr Ong said.

(Click to enlarge. Source: MINDEF)