World's highest-paid PM gets salary hike of 9%; pledges to donate difference
Singaporean ministers are set to receive a 9% salary increase to remain competitive with the private sector, though Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has pledged to donate his raise to charity. The government defends the high pay as necessary to attract top talent and prevent corruption.
Why it matters
The policy highlights the unique 'high-pay, high-performance' governance model of Singapore, which remains a point of public debate regarding income inequality.
Singapore’s ministers, who are among the world’s highest-paid government officials, are set to receive their first salary increase in 15 years. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has justified the increase in pay by stating that it is necessary to attract top talent into politics.Under the revised framework, the benchmark annual salary for a minister at the lowest grade will rise to S$1.8 million (approx Rs 13.5 crores) from S$1.1 million (approx Rs 8.2 crores). The prime minister’s benchmark will increase to S$3.6 million (approx Rs 27 crores) from S$2.2 million (approx Rs 16.5 crores).The increases will not immediately take ministers to those benchmarks. Instead, they will receive a one-time adjustment of up to 9% from October 15, depending on their performance and responsibilities.
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