World's Highest Paid Prime Minister to Get 60% Salary Increase
- Singapore's government announced a major pay increase for its prime minister and cabinet ministers, citing the need to attract top talent into politics
- Lawrence Wong's annual salary will rise by more than 60%, making him even further ahead of other world leaders in terms of pay
- The announcement drew sharp criticism from Singaporeans worried about job losses and rising living costs, with many calling the move tone-deaf
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Singapore's government has announced significant pay increases for its prime minister and cabinet ministers, a move that has sparked public backlash amid growing concerns about retrenchments and the cost of living.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will see his annual salary climb from S$2.2 million to S$3.6 million (about $2.8 million), a rise of more than 60%. Wong said he would donate the increase to charity over the next five years. Even before the revision, he was already the highest-paid elected leader in the world, with Hong Kong's chief executive John Lee second at around $719,000, followed by Switzerland's president Guy Parmelin at $606,000. US President Donald Trump earns $400,000 annually, while British Prime Minister Andy Burnham receives $230,000.
Source: Twitter
Why Singapore is raising ministers' pay
Speaking on Tuesday, September 8, Wong said the salary review was needed to lower the financial barrier for capable professionals considering a move into politics. He acknowledged that the government cannot compete with private sector compensation but argued the current pay levels made it unnecessarily difficult to persuade business leaders and senior civil servants to serve.
According to the BBC, base ministerial pay will rise from around S$1.1 million to S$1.2 million, though Wong said most ministers are expected to earn approximately S$1.35 million before the end of the current government term, since a portion of pay is tied to national performance targets covering unemployment, income growth and GDP growth.
Singapore: Public backlash over timing
The announcement landed badly with many Singaporeans. Critics described it as "tone deaf," pointing to rising inflation, slow hiring for fresh graduates, and retrenchment figures that reached their highest level in more than five years during the last quarter, according to government data.
The ruling People's Action Party (PAP), which has governed Singapore since independence, has long faced scrutiny over ministerial pay. In the 2011 general election, the PAP recorded its lowest vote share in decades, with dissatisfaction over salaries and immigration among the contributing factors. The government cut ministerial pay the following year.
Supporters of the latest increase argued that Singapore deserves the "best of the best" in public office. The government has consistently pointed to Singapore's record on corruption as evidence that the pay model works. The country consistently ranks near the top of Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index, and officials have argued that competitive salaries reduce any temptation to accept bribes.
The median monthly income in Singapore currently stands at S$5,775, a figure that throws the scale of ministerial compensation into sharp relief for many citizens. Wong's predecessor, Lee Hsien Loong, made a similar pledge to donate his salary increase to charity for several years following a pay review in 2007.
Source: Getty Images
Singapore launches $70,000 child support package
Legit.ng earlier reported that Singapore's government has announced it will provide every Singaporean child with close to $70,000 in direct financial support from birth through age 17, in one of the country's most significant overhauls of family assistance in recent years.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong unveiled the SG Child Support Package during his National Day Rally speech on August 23, as reported by the Straits Times on August 23.
Source: Legit.ng
