Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced in Parliament on Tuesday a series of adjustments to ministerial salaries, which will increase his own annual compensation package to SG$3.6 million (US$2.85 million). The revisions are the first major update to the country’s political salary framework in 15 years.
In his address, Wong stated that the government links compensation for political officeholders to top private-sector earnings to attract and retain qualified candidates for public service. His new annual pay, which includes both fixed and variable components, is an increase from the previous figure of SG$2.2 million. Wong has pledged to donate the full amount of his salary increase to charity for the next five years, provided he remains prime minister.
The salary framework is based on a benchmark for an entry-level minister, designated as the MR4 grade. According to data from Singapore’s Public Service Division, this grade is pegged to the median income of the 1,000 highest-earning Singaporean citizens, with a 40% discount applied to what the government terms “reflect the ethos of public service.”
Under the new revisions, the MR4 benchmark will increase from SG$1.1 million to SG$1.8 million. The prime minister’s salary is set at twice the MR4 grade. The government describes its compensation model as a “clean wage” system, meaning it does not include additional perks or hidden salary components. An individual holding multiple government portfolios receives only one salary.
Wong clarified that the salary adjustments for current ministers will not be immediate or uniform. He stated that existing political officeholders will receive one-time adjustments of up to 9% starting October 15. A minister currently earning SG$1.1 million, for example, would see their annual pay rise to approximately SG$1.2 million initially, not the full SG$1.8 million benchmark. Future adjustments will be determined by individual performance and responsibilities, he said.
“Political salaries are a difficult and emotive issue,” Wong stated in Parliament. “The sums involved are more than what most citizens earn. So I understand why Singaporeans scrutinize them closely, and why many feel strongly about the matter.”
He added, “But we run an open system and believe in being transparent about ministerial salaries. We cannot avoid this issue simply because it is politically difficult.”
The prime minister’s revised SG$3.6 million salary is higher than the statutory pay for leaders of several other developed nations. For comparison, the president of the United States receives an annual salary of $400,000. Some countries’ official salary figures do not include bonuses and other allowances.
