Algeria: “Reduction of national service duration in the offing”

The new draft law on the national Service Act, initiated by the High Command of the People’s National Army (ANP) is at a “stage of advanced study’, announced Sunday the Director of the National Service at the Department of National Defence (MDN), Major-General Mohamed Salah Benbicha.

The project, initiated by the High Command of the National Popular Army “has attained an advanced stage of study, and will be implemented upon its official approval by the relevant authorities and Parliament “, said Major-General Mohamed Benbicha at the opening of an ”open doors” event devoted to the National Service held in the city of Blida, 50 km from Algiers.

The newly-introduced provisions of this draft law provide, inter alia, for the reduction of the duration of the National Service to one year (12 months), which will be taken into account in the calculation of retirement and professional experience of young draftees.

“Automatic re-integration in his working post for the conscript after the completion of his national service duty and priority will be given to his enlistment in the ranks of the National Popular Army”, are among other benefits cited by the senior military officer who also announced, by the same token, a projected hike in the monthly wages for conscripts serving under the national flag.

In addition, Major-General Mohamed Salah Benbicha further underlined that the Ministry of National Defense would work in close conjunction with the Ministry of National Education so as to shore up the literacy level of some needy National Service conscripts, in order to facilitate their smooth integration into social life.