Ministerial salary review to be completed before year-end

[sengkang]

SINGAPORE: The committee tasked with reviewing the salaries of Singapore's president, prime minister, political appointment holders and Members of Parliament (MPs) has said it expects to complete its review before the end of the year.

Its chairman, Gerard Ee, who is also the chairman of Changi General Hospital and the National Kidney Foundation, gave the update in a statement on Friday.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had announced the formation of the committee to review political salaries the day he and his Cabinet were sworn in on May 21, after the recent General Election.

The high-level task force includes representatives from the corporate, legal and trade union sectors.

Mr Ee said since the close of the public feedback on June 20, his team has received more than 500 suggestions through emails and letters.

He said the team is carefully looking through all the inputs, some of which are very detailed, with the help of HR consultant Mercer Singapore.

Mr Ee added that the committee is also getting comments from both retired and current politicians.

He said the committee wants to do a thorough job of the review before issuing its proposals.

The government has said that it will base the new salaries of political holders on the committee's recommendations.

The new wages will be backdated to 21 May 2011, the date when the new government took office.

Former president SR Nathan has said he will adopt the new salary from that date, while the revised salary for the new president will commence from his new term on September 1.

At the Cabinet swearing-in ceremony in May, Prime Minister Lee had stressed that politics is not a job or a career promotion, but "a calling to serve the larger good of Singapore".

He added that ministers should also be paid properly so that Singapore can have an honest and competent leadership over the long term.

- CNA/ls/al :*:

 

[sengkang]

knn, why it take so long reviewing the salaries of Singapore's president, prime minister, political appointment holders and Members of Parliament (MPs). foods price can increase over night, wtf

 

[LeMans2011]

He did not say which year end... could be year 2015

 

[steffychun]

at least its not 56 man-years

 

[LeMans2011]

at least its not 56 man-years

Even this you have something good to say about it... you are very positive as long as it does not involve SDP or TJS

 

[refulgence]

A farcical exercise to hoodwink gullible peasants.

 

[Varuna]

I am not sure if there was a committee to take this long to decide increases over the years. But when it comes to lowering, it needs a committee machinery to drag 7 months to do so. The picture can't be any clearer. It would be naive to expect surprises.

 

[steffychun]

By year end--Christmas. PM will force committee to give him a Christmas Present increase.

 

[williamsF1]

if their bogus stats say that avg income in sinkieland is $4k/mth, it means approx $48k p.a. (although, we see more ppl w/ 2.5k/mth on the streets - sometimes lesser paid than FTs)

(bearing in mind that their income is tax free, medical/incidental costs covered & pension guaranteed)

if they draw 10x more than $48k p.a. which amounts to $480k p.a. (which is damn bloody comfortable)
even if they draw 20x more than $48k p.a. which amounts to $960k p.a. (which is too damn bloody comfortable)
if they r greedy enough, assume 30x $48k p.a. which amounts to $1.44M p.a. (which is already celestial & not far from the current salaries of most ministers)

i simply cant understand y the salary review is taking eons to formulate, while tariffs & costs for our necessities increase at the snap of the fingers. basically, we've been screwed by the 60% (GE) & 35% (PE) daft voters.