Singapore PM Wong to get S$1.4m pay rise
Bbc · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Singapore's government said it will raise the annual salaries of ministers and other political office holders, with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's pay package set to rise by S$1.4 million a year to S$3.6 million. Wong said the change is intended to help attract stronger candidates into politics, and he pledged to donate the full amount of his pay increase to charitable causes over the next five years.
Key Points
- Wong announced the decision in parliament on Tuesday, 8 September, while speaking in his capacity as Singapore's finance minister
- Before the adjustment, Wong's annual salary was S$2.2 million; after the increase, it will rise by more than 60% to S$3.6 million
- Wong said ministerial pay has drawn scrutiny because it far exceeds what most citizens earn, with Singapore's median monthly income at S$5,775
- He argued the government cannot match private-sector earnings, but should not make the financial sacrifice unnecessarily steep for business leaders or senior civil servants entering politics
- Wong said he will donate the entire five-year increase, totalling S$7 million, and stressed that this was his personal decision, not an expectation for other office holders
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the comparison is politically notable because the BBC said Wong was already the world's highest-paid political leader before the rise, while Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu was listed next at about US$719,000 a year. The move is also likely to draw attention beyond Singapore because it comes amid public concern over job security and the rising cost of living, even as the government defends high political salaries as a way to attract talent and deter corruption