On Sept 8, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that the government has accepted the recommendation to review political salaries, and that political office-holders will get a one-off pay increase of up to 9 per cent. This increase would be the first in 15 years, lowering the gap against private-sector salaries.
On Sept 10, parliament debated the changes with an overall agreement on the increases, where there were clarifying questions and suggestions. Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh asked for more clarity on the duties of mayors and called for the allowances of legislative and secretarial assistants to be increased.
PM Wong said that the Government will study the suggestions carefully, and when the next review committee is convened in five years, it can consider these issues afresh, together with how the framework has operated in practice.
He added: “Today’s discussion will not be the end of the discussion we have on political salaries. The framework can and should continue to evolve, where there are good reasons to improve it.”
PM Wong has also said that he will donate his full salary increase to good causes for the next five years to demonstrate his commitment to the idea that revised political salaries are in Singapore’s interests.
