Parliament Approves Enlistment Upon Reaching 18 Years of Age

Bratislava, 1 October (TASR) - The limit for voluntary enlistment will be lowered to 18 years of age, as opposed to the current wording when it was allowed as from the beginning of the year in which the applicant turned 19, according to an amendment to the law on certain measures aimed at increasing Slovakia's resilience, which was approved by Parliament on Wednesday through an amending proposal to the law on targeted energy assistance. "Those who have not yet enlisted may voluntarily take on this duty the day after turning 18 years of age, if they have permanent residence in the territory of Slovakia," reads the amendment, according to which permission will be granted by decisions issued by district offices. The amendment is aimed at allowing people to join the National Defence Forces (NOS) after reaching the age of 18. To date, voluntary applicants could be enlisted only from the beginning of the year in which they turned 19. Furthermore, the conditions are tightened for receiving an incentive allowance of €600 for those serving in the operational reserves. The amendment also makes it possible to reduce the allowance by the amount of the employer's costs of wage compensation when an employee is on a leave for the purposes of participating in regular training or fulfilling the tasks of the armed forces. jrg/mcs