Military top brass set for second pay raise

By Hoang Thuy June 20, 2019 | 03:35 am PT

Soldiers of Vietnamese army force march in Hanoi in February, 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy.

The monthly salary of generals and senior lieutenant-generals will rise by VND1 million ($43) to VND15.5 million and VND14.6 million.

The raise will apply from next month to generals and senior lieutenant-generals under the Ministry of National Defense.

This makes the new salary of generals ten times higher than the basic wage in the country's public sector, which will stay at VND1.49 million after a 7.2 percent hike from July 1.

The defense ministry currently has two generals, Minister Ngo Xuan Lich and Chairman of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army, Luong Cuong.

Besides the official salary, Lich will receive a monthly bonus of VND2.2 million while Cuong gets VND2.1 million.

The lowest-ranking military official, a lieutenant, gets VND6.2 million per month, excluding bonuses.

The latest time Vietnam raised the salaries for its generals was in July last year, and the pay raise was also VND1 million a month.