[Machater]

SINGAPORE - National servicemen will have their monthly allowance upped by $60 across-the-board starting April 2012.

For recruits, this means an increase of 14 per cent from $420 to $480, and for an NSF (full-time national servicemen) lieutenant or inspector, a 5 per cent increase from $1,120 to $1,180, The Straits Times reported.

The hike will benefit some 350,000 NSFs and operationally-ready servicemen (NSmen) in the Singapore Armed Forces, the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the Singapore Police Force.

The last allowance review for national servicemen was done in 2009, when a $20 increase was given.

Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen, who announced the allowance increase in Parliament today, said with falling birth rates and smaller national service cohorts, each NSman must shoulder more responsibilities.

"Even as we call upon each NSman to do his part to defend Singapore, Mindef regularly looks for ways to recognise their contributions," Dr Ng was quoted as saying in The Straits Times.