“SGD1.8 million is not what every minister will be paid,” Coordinating Minister for Public Services Chan Chun Sing told Parliament on Thursday, according to a government statement.
He said the SGD1.8 million figure serves as a reference point under the revised salary framework rather than a guaranteed salary for every minister.
The government has recently announced a plan to hike ministerial salaries, already among the world’s highest, starting from Oct. 15. Under the plan, the Prime Minister will receive a 64% pay boost to SGD3.6 million per year.
For other ministers, a one-off adjustment in October will be capped at 9% and will vary according to individual circumstances, including performance and when the person last received a salary adjustment.
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Singapore’s Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing delivers a speech as he attends the sixth plenary session of the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on May 31, 2026. Photo by AFP |
An entry-level minister currently earning SGD1.1 million will therefore receive no more than about SGD1.2 million, with subsequent adjustments depending on performance and responsibilities, Chan said.
Most entry-level ministers are expected to be at the lower end of the new salary range by the end of the term, earning about SGD1.35 million, he said.
“To put into context, this is equivalent to an average of 0.6% per annum over the last 15 years,” he added.
The topic of salaries has been a matter of public scrutiny, PM Lawrence Wong said Tuesday.
“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,” Wong said, adding that he would donate his increment to charity for the next five years.
But it was not just a matter of pay, he added. “It is ultimately about whether Singapore will continue to have the quality of political leadership we need to take our country forward and to serve Singaporeans well in the years ahead,” Wong said.
Echoing him, Chan said the issue was ultimately not about how much ministers would earn or the allowances MPs would receive, but Singapore’s future and the system needed to develop its next generation of leaders, The Straits Times quoted him as saying.
“Beyond all the numbers, beyond all the formulas, it is about building a system to give future generations a better chance to assemble a strong team to take Singapore forward, come what may,” he said.
What was needed was a diverse team that included younger members with fresh energy, ideas and perspectives who could develop over time and build trust and bonds with fellow Singaporeans, he said.
Singapore was ranked the world’s second-richest country by GDP per capita in 2025, behind Switzerland, by The Economist.