Singapore announces first ministerial salary increases in 15 years

Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has announced the first ministerial salary increases in 15 years. Under a new model developed by an independent commission, the Prime Minister’s reference remuneration will rise by 64%, from approximately 2.2 million to 3.6 million Singapore dollars (roughly 2.4 million euros) per year.

The government justifies the revision by citing strong economic growth and rising incomes in the private sector. The salary structure for ministers is benchmarked against the top 1,000 earners in the private sector, though a 40% discount is applied as a “public service sacrifice.” Following the announcement, Wong stated he will donate the entirety of his salary increase to charitable institutions over the next five years.

Other adjustments include the reference salary for the lowest-ranking ministers rising to 1.8 million Singapore dollars, and an increase for elected Members of Parliament to approximately 12,600 euros per month. The adjustments will be implemented in stages, starting with a one-time adjustment of up to 9% based on performance.