Political salaries debate: MPs discuss pay benchmarks, performance and cost of entering politics
Changes to Singapore's political salary framework include a one-off pay increase of up to 9 per cent for political office holders and wider salary ranges for ministers.
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SINGAPORE: The government and Workers’ Party (WP) broadly agree on the political salary adjustments to be implemented during the current term, but differ over how ministerial salaries should be benchmarked in the longer run, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Thursday (Sep 10) during a parliamentary debate on the issue.
Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh earlier backed the immediate pay adjustments but challenged the formula used to benchmark ministerial salaries. He also renewed questions over the role and remuneration of Singapore's mayors.
Other MPs raised questions about how ministers' individual performance would be assessed, and whether quality of life should eventually be considered in determining the national bonus component.
Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) Tan See Leng, drawing on his own experience of leaving the private sector, argued that Singapore risks narrowing its pool of future leaders if the personal and financial costs of entering politics become too high.
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