Singapore: Deep cuts to Singapore ministers'
unpopular multi-million-dollar salaries are "fair and
balanced" but slashing them further would deter people from
serving in government, the deputy premier said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a parliamentary debate, Deputy Prime Minister
Teo Chee Hean said the government would support a proposal by
an official committee to slash top officials' salaries by at
least a third.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had promised a review of
ministerial salaries to ease public anger that surfaced in
landmark elections last year, when the ruling party saw its
share of votes fall to 60 per cent, an all-time low.
"The government has considered the committee's report
carefully, and is satisfied that the committee has studied
this subject of political salaries very thoroughly," Teo said.
"The government therefore intends to accept the
committee's recommendations. They are fair and balanced, and
are an improvement to the previous salary framework."
Despite the cuts, Singapore ministers remain the world's
best-paid politicians, running a wealthy city-state of more
than five million people.
The Prime Minister still commands an annual salary of SD
2.2 million (USD 1.69 million) despite a 36 per cent pay
reduction under the revised pay scale, government estimates
showed.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, January 17, 2012, 10:16