SINGAPORE RAISES MINISTER SALARIES FOR FIRST TIME IN 15 YEARS

Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced a pay increase for the country's ministers on Tuesday, marking the first salary rise in 15 years. Ministers at the lowest grade will see their benchmark annual pay rise to 1.8 million Singapore dollars (£1.06 million) from 1.1 million Singapore dollars, Wong told Parliament. The prime minister's benchmark salary will increase to 3.6 million Singapore dollars (£2.13 million) from 2.2 million Singapore dollars, representing a rise of more than 60 per cent. Wong said he will donate his entire salary increase to charity over the next five years.

The government framed the increase as necessary to attract capable talent from the private sector and public service into political office. Wong told lawmakers that Singapore has faced difficulty convincing business leaders and top civil servants to enter politics, and that the revised framework would not make "the financial hurdle unnecessarily high" for talented individuals to give up their careers. Under the new arrangement, ministers will receive a one-time adjustment of up to 9 per cent beginning 15 October, with increases varying by performance and responsibilities rather than automatically reaching the benchmark salary. Wong expects most ministers at the lowest grade to earn approximately 1.35 million Singapore dollars by the end of the current term.

The announcement has drawn scrutiny in Singapore, where concerns about job security and the rising cost of living are widespread. Wong acknowledged that ministers' salaries have attracted attention given they considerably exceed what most citizens earn, with the country's median monthly income recorded at 5,775 Singapore dollars. The government has previously argued that high ministerial pay deters corruption and maintains clean governance. Wong stated that Singapore's political pay system operates openly, with no hidden salary components or perks outside the published framework.