26. Employee Benefits:

(a) Provisions for personnel benefits and payroll:


	2017	2018
	MCh$	MCh$

Short-term personnel benefits (a.2)	43,372	47,797
Vacation accrual (a.3)	25,159	26,855
Employee defined benefit plan (a.1)(*)	7,676	7,754
Other Benefits	10,421	10,173
Total	86,628	92,579

(*) See Note No. 2 (y) (iii).

(a.1) Employee defined benefit plan:


	2017	2018
	MCh$	MCh$

Current service cost	(86)	250
Interest cost on benefit obligation	343	300
Actuarial gains and losses	(164)	127
Net benefit expense	93	677

The net benefit expense is recognized under “Personnel Expenses” (Note No. 35).

The principal assumptions used in determining pension obligations for the Bank’s plan are shown below:

The most recent actuarial valuation of the present value of the benefit plan obligation was carried out at December 31, 2018.

Changes in the present value of the defined benefit obligation are as follows:


	2017	2018
	MCh$	MCh$

Opening defined benefit obligation, January 1,	8,851	7,676
Increase (Decrease) in provision	257	550
Benefits paid	(1,268)	(599)
Actuarial gains and losses	(164)	127
Closing defined benefit obligation	7,676	7,754

(a.2) The following table details the changes in provisions for incentive plans during 2017 and 2018:

(a.3) The following table details the changes in provisions for vacation during 2017 and 2018:

(b) Provisions for share-based employee benefits:

As of December 31, 2017 and 2018, the Bank and its subsidiaries do not have a stock compensation plan.