Pay cut for the ministers!!!

[phantom_opera]

Wow i am impressed

28% pay cut for PM, 31% cut for entry-level ministers proposed


The committee to review ministers' salaries has recommended a pay cut of 31 per cent for a minister at entry grade, and a cut of 28 per cent for the Prime Minister. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND LIM
By Lydia Lim, Deputy Political Editor
The committee to review ministers' salaries has recommended a pay cut of 31 per cent for a minister at entry grade, and a cut of 28 per cent for the Prime Minister.

The government intends to accept the committee's recommendations, the Prime Minister said in a letter to the committee released on Wednesday.

That means the salary of a minister at entry level will be cut to $1.1 million. This is down from the current actual salary which stood at $1.58 million in 2010. The Prime Minister's salary will also be adjusted to $2.2 million, down from the 2010 salary of $3.07 million. The President's annual salary will be cut by 51 per cent to $1.54 million.

The committee has also recommended that ministers' pensions be done away with.

The basis of the pay cuts is a recommendation to change the formula used to peg ministers' salaries to top private sector pay.

The current formula for the starting salary of a minister is based on the median income of the top eight earners in six professions, including banking and law, with a one-third discount.

The committee, chaired by National Kidney Foundation chairman Gerard Ee, has recommended the formula be changed to the median income of the top 1,000 Singaporean income earners, with a 40 per cent discount.

It also recommended a new national bonus to replace the GDP bonus that ministers currently receive. The proposed national bonus is to be decided based on four measures: GDP growth, unemployment rate, real growth in median incomes and real growth in the incomes of the bottom 20 per cent of wage earners.

[bargain hunter]

score points lor. wait until pple kao bei then cut. like that lor.

[Allthepies]

all green eyes monsters happy liao

[land118]

CNA report seemed to suggest more, does that mean taxpayers has overpaid them for the longest time?:

we heard of back pay; how about back pay cut?

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stori...174694/1/.html

PM may see 36% pay cut, entry-level ministers 37%

By Hoe Yeen Nie | Posted: 04 January 2012 1208 hrs

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/compo....php?id=477549 Photos 2 of 2
Political Pay Review committee presenting their report and recommendations Related News •Govt intends to accept recommended wage cuts : PM Lee Video

SINGAPORE: The Review Committee, appointed by the Prime Minister to look at Ministerial salaries, has recommended cuts of between 36 and 53 per cent.

This was disclosed by Committee Chairman, Gerard Ee, on Wednesday at a news conference .

The committee also recommended for the pension scheme to be removed entirely for new office holders.

This will be applicable to those who are appointed on or after 21 May 2011.

Those appointed before that, will also be affected.

The Committee was appointed after the general election in May last year, and had submitted its report to the Prime Minister on December 30.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had announced the review at the swearing-in ceremony of the new cabinet in May last year.

Among the recommendations made are the Prime Minister's annual salary to be cut by 36 per cent, to S$2.2 million.

The President's annual salary is reduced by 51 per cent, to S$1.54 million.

The Speaker of Parliament will see the biggest percentage cut of 53 per cent, to S$550,000.

The lowest percentage change of a 20 per cent cut is for the Mayor and Senior Parliamentary Secretary positions.

Mayors will now get S$660,000 while Senior Parliamentary Secretaries will get S$572,000.

Previously, salaries were pegged to the median income of the top 48 earners in Singapore, with a one-third discount.

Now, they will be pegged to the median income of the top 1,000 earners who are Singapore citizens.

A 40 per cent discount will then be applied.

Based on 2010 figures, the proposed salary for entry-level ministers works out to S$1.1 million.

The committee also recommended changes to bonus payments, pensions and benefits under the new pay structure.

The committee has recommended that the GDP bonus be removed, and replaced by a National Bonus.

The National Bonus comprises four elements - including the unemployment rate, real median income growth, GDP growth and the real income growth of the bottom 20 per cent of wage earners.

Chairman Gerard Ee said the salary must be a "clean wage" with no hidden perks.

He said: "Our recommendations, while it is a severe cut, should be able to attract not all, but some of the talents to come forward.

"But preserving the message that you're coming forward to serve in a political capacity, and there is some sacrifice to be made.

"The 1,000, basically is, first take note that it's based on Singaporeans only, and eliminate the PRs and everybody.

"So we say if the talent pool from which we want to tap, if we were to hunt for them, we believe if they were to be functioning outside of politics, that's where we're going to locate them."

A member of the committee, Fang Ai Lian, said: "This new system is a lot more transparent and a lot more Singapore centric and that's why we were very careful when we picked our benchmark, it is about Singaporeans.

"When we talk about performance indicators, it is about Singaporeans. This is something that the public can look forward to when measuring the performance of your ministers.

"So when you look at benchmark, indicators pertaining to National Bonus, it is about the well-being of Singaporeans."

View the news conference here

The new salary will be backdated to 21 May last year, when the new government took office.

MPs will debate the report when Parliament sits for a second session 16 January.

Parliament's first sitting for this year will be on 9 January. It's expected to focus on several questions tabled on the recent flooding and the spate of MRT disruptions.

- CNA/ck

[ay123]

why no cut in MP allowance? $15000 is almost a director pay. MP so good???

[land118]

Minister of Lonkang (canal) & Minister of MRT, flood and breakdown, got minus points for KPIs and more payout?

[hopeful]

.....Now, they will be pegged to the median income of the top 1,000 earners who are Singapore citizens.

They seems to use the word "income" and "salary" interchangeably.
Not sure which term they actually mean.

anyway, when is the URA going to finish up the showflat guidelines. been months already.

[Regulators]

Ministers pay still higher than obama leh

[Regulators]

Mps like tin pei ling no track record to justify her $15k salary leh. There are so many ppl smarter and more capable than her at her age but getting only less than half of her pay, so how to justify her pay?

why no cut in MP allowance? $15000 is almost a director pay. MP so good???

[PN]

The committee has also recommended that ministers' pensions be done away with.

Good. No more pensions.

[phantom_opera]

MP pay is roughly top 10% percentile of taxpayers ... $167k per year

[mygeemeel]

Mps like tin pei ling no track record to justify her $15k salary leh. There are so many ppl smarter and more capable than her at her age but getting only less than half of her pay, so how to justify her pay?

Like what i have been reading... she has the package: SYT.... Smart Youthful Talented.

[amk]

Mps like tin pei ling no track record to justify her $15k salary leh.

u really really really have an issue with her, do you ?

move on lah... there are plenty of ppl around being paid obscene amount of money for doing nothing. she at least got visit old folks in marine parade

[Lovelle]

Ministers pay still higher than obama leh

agree lor

how abt their many properties rental income...

[Regulators]

Many student volunteers also visit old folks what, so what is the big deal? Even nurses who change diapers for old folks at the old folks home don't get paid $15k monthly . So you are going to tell me she she does a lot more than that? Please lah....

u really really really have an issue with her, do you ?

move on lah... there are plenty of ppl around being paid obscene amount of money for doing nothing. she at least got visit old folks in marine parade

[amk]

Many student volunteers also visit old folks what, so what is the big deal? Even nurses who change diapers for old folks at the old folks home don't get paid $15k monthly . So you are going to tell me she she does a lot more than that? Please lah....

hey my point is to move on lah.. if u want to argue this way, there are plenty of ppl who get paid 30k for doing nothing some more, so how ?

I just find it amusing, every time this topic pops up, you always complained about tin tin this girl does or does not do anything, has no significance on this country.

[Regulators]

Why I complain about her is obvious, who is paying her salary and where her salary come from. Ppl earn millions in pte sector none of my business, but she is a public servant so it is everybody's business

hey my point is to move on lah.. if u want to argue this way, there are plenty of ppl who get paid 30k for doing nothing some more, so how ?

I just find it amusing, every time this topic pops up, you always complained about tin tin this girl does or does not do anything, has no significance on this country.

[Regulators]

Maybe your taxes too insignificant for you to bother about what mps get paid, but it is definitely an issue to me coz of what I pay in income tax yearly.

hey my point is to move on lah.. if u want to argue this way, there are plenty of ppl who get paid 30k for doing nothing some more, so how ?

I just find it amusing, every time this topic pops up, you always complained about tin tin this girl does or does not do anything, has no significance on this country.

[Lovelle]

their bonus is no longer link to GDP. Property growth link to GDP...get the idea ??

[Snail]

Only question is....... how long have they been this overpaid, and can we claim it back!

[Laguna]

majority of them still have their big fat pension intact
Is pension pegged to the last drawn salary?

Who is the happiest? the ex President must be...pension intact

[DC33_2008]

President and Speaker of the House must be the most upset people.

[Regulators]

You think the prata man is that noble to return his millions in all his years of service?

Only question is....... how long have they been this overpaid, and can we claim it back!

[Worsty]

It will be interesting to see if ministerial performance will slip as a result of ministerial pay cut.

If it doesn't, it will prove that the earlier rationale for deciding ministerial salaries is wrong. If it does, it will prove that the earlier rationale for choosing ministers is wrong.

[ysyap]

When top ten wages of the world's political leader's belong to Singapore, it is indeed worrisome. 37% probably will do that little bit more justice. Maybe now still have 8 out of 10 top political leader's wage still belonging to Singapore?

[ysyap]

It will be interesting to see if ministerial performance will slip as a result of ministerial pay cut.

If it doesn't, it will prove that the earlier rationale for deciding ministerial salaries is wrong. If it does, it will prove that the earlier rationale for choosing ministers is wrong.

Lol! Whatever it is, it is wrong?

[ysyap]

Only question is....... how long have they been this overpaid, and can we claim it back!

Their pay will only be backdated to 21 May 2011 so can only claim back till then. Anything before that is history!

[Worsty]

When top ten wages of the world's political leader's belong to Singapore, it is indeed worrisome. 37% probably will do that little bit more justice. Maybe now still have 8 out of 10 top political leader's wage still belonging to Singapore?

http://www.cabinet.gov.sg/content/ca...ointments.html <-- 15 on this page. All earning more than Donald Tsang (next highest outside of Singapore)

Then we have speaker of parliament who also earns more than him. Our Mayors? 660k which is more than Obama's USD400k. Our perm secs? All also more than Donald Tsang and Obama etc.

We still have the top 20-30 civil appointment holders easily. The recommended pay doesn't factor in bonuses as well whereas the other political leaders/civil service appointment holders do.

[phantom_opera]

Directorships per minister will increase ... salary maintained :-)

[Worsty]

Directorships per minister will increase ... salary maintained :-)

Ministers cannot be directors. Only MPs can. MPs is part time job. Being a Minister is a full time job.