PM Wong to consider disclosing more information on ministerial salaries, defends role of mayors

SINGAPORE – Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said he will consider disclosing more information on the distribution of salaries and performance bonuses among ministers beyond what is already shared, given the interest in this topic.

But he also cautioned against turning ministerial assessment into a “public popularity contest”, where individuals get compared and ranked annually.

“That is not going to be productive, and that is not how I want the Cabinet to operate,” he said in his speech as Parliament debated increases to political salaries for about four hours on Sept 10. 

“I do not want ministers working in silos, focusing narrowly on their own issues or building up their own profiles,” he added, noting that even the most capable minister “cannot succeed alone”.

PM Wong said he wants ministers to look beyond their portfolios and work as a team to solve problems together.

Some of the most important decisions may take years to bear fruit, or might be difficult and unpopular today but necessary for Singapore’s longer-term interests, he noted.

“If the ministers are judged mainly by what is visible and popular now, we risk encouraging the wrong behaviour. And that would not produce a better government,” he said.

During the debate, WP chief Pritam Singh sought answers for the actual total remuneration received by ministers at the entry-level MR4 grade, including the maximum bonus allowed under the salary framework.

Replying, PM Wong reiterated that he intends to look at how to provide more information to the public on ministerial pay, “given the interest in where the salary bands are, where ministers lie in terms of the salary ranges, and how the variable payouts will be”.

He said he would not be able to reveal the grades of specific ministers or what their performance bonuses were.

“But giving such information in broad ranges, I think that’s reasonable, and we will consider and study how we can provide such information in the future,” he said.

Singh had also said some public servants who join the Government as ministers could potentially get a pay increase from what they had previously earned in the civil service.

In response, PM Wong said: “I want to dispel that myth. That does not happen. There is no increase when civil servants join politics. Sometimes it is even a pay cut.”

He added that civil servants who stay on in the civil service and do well would very likely have earned more than they would in politics.

‘I am proud of all our mayors’

Singh also asked the Government if it intends to keep the office of the mayor and to explain its role and function, noting that it remains unclear to many Singaporeans what the job scope of mayors is.

PM Wong replied that mayors and the Community Development Councils they chair bring value by mobilising a wider network of volunteers, responding to local needs and contributing to initiatives such as CDC vouchers and the Jobs Nearby scheme, which helps Singaporeans find jobs close to their homes.

“I would not want to give up any of these contributions. I am proud of all our mayors and what they do for Singapore,” the Prime Minister said, as MPs thumped their seats in approval.

He added that he wants mayors to keep strengthening local communities and build a more cohesive and caring country.

The committee that reviewed the political salary framework had recommended that the Government study establishing a basis for payment of community-related roles such as MPs and mayors that is separate from the MR4 benchmark. 

In his speech, Coordinating Minister for Public Services Chan Chun Sing said the Government will talk to various stakeholders to come up with a better benchmark.

PM Wong, meanwhile, touched on how he assesses his Cabinet, saying he looks at their overall performance over time, and not “based on one speech, one controversy, or one set of headlines”.

He added that he discusses the assessments with his senior colleagues – Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, the two senior ministers and the coordinating ministers.

His approach had been to give new office-holders time and support to grow into their roles and develop their strengths, PM Wong said. 

He noted that he has not had to make any changes due to “sustained underperformance” thus far.

“But it has happened before, and it can happen again. And if so, I will deal with it firmly, but also sensitively, and with respect for the individual concerned,” he added.

PM Wong said an individual may perform much better when given responsibilities that play to his or her strengths, so part of leading and managing the team is getting the roles and the combinations right. 

Chan separately said the two prime ministers he has worked with so far have been very strict and fair in how they assess the ministers’ performance.