The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) confirmed in a press release today that around 3,000 operationally-ready national servicemen (NSmen) and employers received incorrect national service pay on Thursday, 12 Apr, due to a technical error. 90 per cent of those who were affected are NSmen.
The Ministry said: “The error occurred during data migration to another server and was discovered when the requisite audit checks for such procedures were performed.”
Declining to confirm the discrepancy in the amount that was paid out, explaining that the pay varied for each affected personnel, MINDEF has said that it has since deposit the correct amounts into the bank accounts of those affected.
It added that affected NSmen and employers need not take any action as the ministry will work with their banks to resolve the issue and recover the incorrect payments.
NSmen receive service pay that is pro-rated according to the length of their training. NSmen who suffer a loss in their civilian income due to NS activities may claim the difference between their civilian income and service pay.
NSmen receive pay that is of the same amount as their civilian salary during reservist training. Either MINDEF or the personnel’s employers will pay this amount to the NSmen. Employers who pay NSmen during their reservist training can claim the amount back from the Ministry.