Singapore ministers, among world's highest paid government officials, get first raise in 15 years

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysa (AP) — Singapore’s ministers, already among the world’s highest paid, are getting a raise for the first time in 15 years, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said, explaining the government cannot attract top talent into politics if salaries remain unchanged. Wong told Parliament on Tuesday that under a revised salary framework, the benchmark annual pay for a minister at the lowest grade will rise to 1.8 million Singapore dollars ($1.42 million), from 1.1 million Singapore dollars ($868,330). The prime minister’s benchmark salary will jump to 3.6 million Singapore dollars ($2.8 million) from 2.2 million Singapore dollars ($1.7 million), he said.

The government ministers who will receive raises are elected lawmakers who lead ministries and help make national policies, while allowances for other lawmakers also will increase. But Wong said ministers and other political officeholders will not immediately move to the new salary benchmark. Instead, they will get a one-time adjustment up to 9% beginning Oct.

15, with the increase depending on performance and responsibilities. Wong expects most ministers at the lowest grade to earn about 1.35 million Singapore dollars ($1.06 million) by the end of the current term. Salaries thereafter will vary by performance and responsibilities, rather than automatically reaching the benchmark of 1.8 million Singapore dollars, he said.

He didn’t say how much his salary would be, although a 9% adjustment would raise it to 2.4 million Singapore dollars ($1.89 million). Wong said he would donate his entire salary increase to charity for the next five years. Political pay is a sensitive issue in Singapore as ministers earn far more than most citizens and the prime minister’s salary is among the highest for national leaders worldwide.

The government has defended the system as necessary to attract capable people from the private sector and public service and to maintain a clean government. Singapore chose to deal with political remuneration openly, with no hidden salary components or perks outside the published framework, Wong said. “Good government did not come naturally to Singapore.

It was built deliberately over many years. And there is nothing automatic about sustaining this,” he said. The government understood why Singaporeans scrutinize ministers’ pay but argued that the issue could not be avoided simply because i…