SINGAPORE: Singapore may see a review of ministerial salaries in 2024, following the deferral of a planned evaluation last year. The initial plans for
SINGAPORE: Singapore may see a review of ministerial salaries in 2024, following the deferral of a planned evaluation last year. The initial plans for this review were disclosed by Cabinet Minister Chan Chun Sing in January 2023, in response to an inquiry from Hazel Poa, a Non-Constituency MP from the Progress Singapore Party (PSP).
Ms. Poa questioned the timing for appointing a committee to conduct the country’s standard five-year review of political salaries, noting that the previous committee was established back in 2017. She sought clarity on the scope of the committee’s assessment and an estimated timeline for its findings.
Minister Chan explained that the White Paper on Salaries for a Capable and Committed Government, issued in 2012, had recommended setting up an independent committee every five years to reassess the salary structure for political appointment holders. The 2012 review was a landmark moment, resulting in substantial pay cuts for senior officials, including a 51% reduction for the president and a 36% reduction for the prime minister. Other political officeholders, such as ministers and the Speaker of Parliament, also saw their salaries reduced under recommendations made by a committee led by former National Kidney Foundation chairman Gerard Ee.
The White Paper’s recommendations and the resulting pay adjustments followed Singapore’s 2011 general election, where the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) experienced a major shift, losing a Group Representation Constituency (GRC) to the opposition for the first time.
In a subsequent review in 2018, a committee determined that the salary framework for political leaders remained “relevant and sound,” advocating for yearly salary adjustments aligned with benchmark movements. However, the government decided to maintain the existing salary structure, considering the ongoing economic transition. Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean mentioned then that the issue would be revisited in five years or as needed.
Although Minister Chan hinted at a possible review in 2023, no such assessment took place. Now, with growing speculations of an upcoming election and the PAP preparing for a significant leadership change, many are wondering if 2024 will bring the long-awaited salary review and what changes might emerge from it.
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