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

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said 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”.

Published Sep 10, 2026, 08:27 PM

Updated Sep 10, 2026, 08:27 PM

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 behavior. 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 Ying, 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.

Singapore Parliament

黄循财总理表示，鉴于公众对部长薪酬等级、部长在薪酬范围内的位置以及浮动奖金等问题很感兴趣，他打算研究如何向公众提供更多关于部长薪酬的信息。

发布于 2026 年 9 月 10 日晚上 8:27

更新于2026年9月10日晚上8:27

新加坡——总理黄循财表示，鉴于公众对这一话题的关注，他将考虑披露更多关于部长薪酬和绩效奖金分配的信息，超出目前已公布的信息范围。

但他同时告诫不要将部长评估变成“公众人气竞赛”，每年对个人进行比较和排名。

“这样做不会有成效，我也不希望内阁以这种方式运作，”他在9月10日发表讲话时说道。当时，议会就提高政治人物薪酬进行了大约四个小时的辩论。

“我不希望部长们各自为政，只关注自己的问题或打造自己的形象，”他补充道，并指出即使是最有能力的部长“也无法独自取得成功”。

黄循财总理表示，他希望各位部长能够超越各自的职责范围，团结协作，共同解决问题。

他指出，一些最重要的决定可能需要数年才能见效，或者今天可能很困难且不受欢迎，但对新加坡的长期利益而言却是必要的。

他说：“如果主要根据部长们当下的政绩和受欢迎程度来评判他们，我们就有可能助长错误的行为。而这不会造就一个更好的政府。”

在辩论中，工人党主席毕丹星要求说明MR4级部长实际获得的总薪酬，包括薪酬框架允许的最高奖金。

黄总理在回应中重申，他打算研究如何向公众提供更多关于部长薪酬的信息，“鉴于公众对薪酬等级、部长在薪酬范围内的位置以及浮动奖金的发放方式很感兴趣”。

他表示无法透露具体部长的评级或绩效奖金是多少。

“但我觉得以宽泛的范围提供此类信息是合理的，我们将考虑和研究将来如何提供此类信息，”他说。

辛格还表示，一些加入政府担任部长的公务员可能会比他们之前在公务员队伍中的收入更高。

对此，黄循财总理表示：“我想澄清这个误解。这种情况不会发生。公务员从政后不会加薪，有时甚至还会减薪。”

他还补充说，那些留在公务员队伍中并表现出色的人，很可能比从政收入更高。

“我为我们所有的市长感到骄傲。”

辛格还询问政府是否打算保留市长办公室，并解释其角色和职能，指出许多新加坡人仍然不清楚市长的职责范围是什么。

黄总理回应说，市长和他们主持的社区发展理事会通过动员更广泛的志愿者网络、响应当地需求以及为社区发展理事会代金券和“就近就业”计划等举措做出贡献来发挥价值，该计划旨在帮助新加坡人找到离家近的工作。

“我不想放弃这些贡献中的任何一项。我为我们所有的市长以及他们为新加坡所做的一切感到自豪，”总理说道，议员们纷纷敲击座位表示赞同。

他还表示，希望市长们继续加强地方社区建设，打造一个更加团结友爱的国家。

审查政治薪酬框架的委员会建议政府研究建立一个与 MR4 基准不同的、针对与社区相关的职位（如议员和市长）的薪酬基础。

公共服务统筹部长陈振声在讲话中表示，政府将与各利益相关方进行磋商，以制定更好的基准。

与此同时，黄循财总理谈到了他如何评价内阁成员，他说他会考察他们一段时间内的整体表现，而不是“根据一次演讲、一次争议或一组新闻标题”来评价。

他还补充说，他会与他的高级同事——副总理颜金英、两位高级部长和统筹部长——讨论评估结果。

黄总理表示，他的做法是给予新任官员时间和支持，让他们成长为合适的人选，并发挥自身优势。

他指出，到目前为止，由于“持续表现不佳”，他还没有做出任何改变。

“但这种事以前发生过，以后也可能再次发生。如果真的发生，我会严肃处理，但也会体谅当事人，并尊重当事人的感受。”他补充道。

黄总理表示，如果赋予个人与其优势相符的职责，他或她可能会表现得更好，因此领导和管理团队的一部分就是正确分配角色和组合。

陈先生另行表示，他迄今为止共事过的两位总理在评估部长们的表现时都非常严格和公平。

新加坡国会