Singapore has announced the first review of political officeholders' salaries since 2012. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong presented a plan for gradual salary increases to parliament on 8 September.
The benchmark for an entry-level minister (MR4) will rise from 1,1 million Singapore dollars to 1,8 million — about 1,4 million US dollars. The Prime Minister's salary will increase to 3,6 million Singapore dollars from the current 2,2 million.
The government accepted the recommendations of an independent committee of eight people, formed in January after a delay due to geopolitical uncertainty. The changes will take effect from 15 October.
However, there will not be a full transition to the new benchmarks immediately. Instead, a one-time increase of up to 9 percent will be introduced. For an MR4 minister, this will yield about 1,2 million Singapore dollars per year, taking into account individual factors — performance and the date of the last review.
Wong stressed that he will personally donate the increase in his salary — about 1,4 million Singapore dollars annually — to charity over the next five years. He does not expect other officials to follow his example.
The last time political leaders' salaries were adjusted was in 2011. Since then, median incomes of Singaporeans have grown by 80 percent, and for the 20th percentile — by 87 percent. The committee noted that without an update, political officeholders' salaries would increasingly lag behind market rates.
The new structure retains the principle: the Prime Minister's salary is twice the MR4 minister benchmark. The question is how these changes will affect the attraction of talent to public administration in the long term.
The decision reflects a balance between the need for competitive compensation and public expectations. The government emphasizes that the increase will not be automatic and will remain tied to performance.
