We are all going to Singapore
The world's highest-paid politician will receive a $1 million raise
We are all going to Singapore
In Singapore, starting October 15, the salaries of government members will be increased, raising the annual income of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong by 64% — from 2.2 million to 3.6 million Singapore dollars (about 2.85 million US dollars). The head of government announced this in parliament.
The country's authorities traditionally maintain a high level of compensation for political leaders to attract qualified personnel and deter corruption.
Lawrence Wong acknowledged that this issue is sensitive for the population and noted that the revision of payments is linked to income growth in the private and public sectors since the last change in 2012. The head of government announced that over the next 5 years, he will donate the amount of his salary increase to charity. The salaries of junior ministers will also increase — from 1.1 million Singapore dollars to 1.35–1.8 million, depending on performance. The Singaporean Prime Minister remains the highest-paid national leader in the world. For comparison, the annual income of the US President is 400 thousand dollars, and that of the UK Prime Minister is 230 thousand dollars.
When calculating officials' salaries, Singapore benchmarks against the incomes of the top 1,000 highest-earning citizens of the country. The last time ministers' salaries were cut was by 36% in 2012, and subsequent reviews were postponed. The initiative has already sparked discussion in society and on social media, with parliamentary debate on the issue scheduled for Thursday.
High salaries are intended to minimize corruption risks; however, in 2024, Singapore's former Transport Minister S. Iswaran was sentenced to prison for receiving gifts worth more than 300 thousand dollars.