MILITARY TO RETAIN CHILDRENS' EDUCATION SUBSIDY|退休軍人子女教育補助 門檻政策緩實施

Four days ago, the government announced that starting from Aug.1, only retired public servants and public school teachers who receive a pension less than NT$25,000 a month, and only retired military personnel whose rank is lower than that of a lieutenant colonel, can continue to receive an education subsidy for their children. But, now, the government says its putting the whole thing ON hold in what many say is yet another 180 degree turn in policy. The executive yuan says it will let the public know of its next decision in 2 weeks. On July.3, the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration announced that starting from Aug.1, retired civil servants will face a cut in their children's education subsidy. There are two exceptions: public servants and public school teachers who receive a pension less than NT$25,000 a month and retired military personnel whose rank is lower than that of a lieutenant colonel. However, just a couple of days after the announcement, there was a big change to the policy. On Jul.6, the Executive Yuan spokesperson Hsu Kuo-yung said that the part for military personnel will not be implemented for the time being. 　 == HSU KUO-YUNG Executive Yuan spokesperson == There is a different voice among the ministries. Therefore, the Executive Yuan speaker demanded a cross-ministry review. Whether the part for military personnel should follow the same standard has not yet been decided. Hsu said the Executive Yuan will give an explanation to the change within two weeks. Retired Lieutenant General Wu Ssu-huai agreed with the change, saying that military profession is different from other jobs, and that military personnel should not be treated differently according to their rank. == WU SSU-HUAI retired lieutenant general== It was right for them to rein in the horse at the edge of the precipice. I hope the government can just stop what they are doing at this point. Military personnel cannot be treated differently either by rank or by salary. The government cannot decide whether a military person can receive the subsidy or not. == HSU YUNG-MING NPP legislator== Now that they resume the old policy, enabling retired military personnel whose rank is higher than that of a lieutenant colonel to receive an education subsidy. This group of military personnel already have a good pension for their retirement life. I cannot help but think that this part of the pension reform is going backwards when it comes to values. NPP legislator Hsu Yung-ming criticized the double standards for retired military personnel, saying that the government has a spot for high-ranking military officers. He called on the DGPA to explain clearly how the new decision was made, or else it will raise doubts about the integrity of Premier Lin Chuan's Cabinet. TRANSLATED BY ARIEL HSIEH 行政院人事總處3號宣布，今年8月1號開始，退休公教人員子女教育補助費，只有月退金兩萬五千元以下的人，可以領取，退伍軍人則是上校以上，不得申領，但是才短短兩天，政策急轉彎。行政院同意暫緩實施、退伍軍人停發子女教育補助費政策，引發正反不同聲音。 星期一，行政院人事總處宣布，今年8月1號開始，只有月退金額兩萬五千元以下的退休公教人員，和中校以下的退伍軍人，可以領取子女教育補助費，但短短兩天，政策大轉彎，行政院發言人徐國勇上午表示，退伍軍人部分，暫緩實施。 ==行政院發言人 徐國勇== 部會之間有一個不一樣的意見 所以院長是指示 由跨部會相關的部會來檢討 是不是這一部分應該 要有一致的標準 或者是這一部分會視其狀況 而有不一樣等等 這些都還沒有確定 徐國勇指出，兩個星期內會對外說明協調結果，而對行政院暫緩政策的作法，退將吳斯懷十分贊同，認為軍人行業具有特殊性，不能用階級劃分。 ==陸軍退役將領 吳斯懷== 這個懸崖勒馬 緊急煞車絕對是正確的 我希望就此打住了 軍人不可以用階級 或者他的收入來劃分 要不要持續這個教育補助費 ==時代力量立委 徐永明== 現在又恢復中校以上 其實這些是退休待遇更優渥的一群 所以我們會覺得說 這會不會是年金改革 價值的大倒退 不過，立委徐永明批評政府雙重標準，獨厚高階退伍軍人，呼籲行政院人事總處，應該把決策轉彎過程交代清楚，否則會讓林全內閣正當性，再度下降。 記者 郭采彥 謝其文 台北報導