Chan Chun Sing responds to debate on motion on government response to political salaries review

Singapore cannot build a strong political team simply by hoping that the people it needs can afford to step forward, Coordinating Minister for Public Services Chan Chun Sing said in parliament on Thursday (Sep 10). Finding the right combination is already difficult; we should not make it harder for this or any government by narrowing the field even before selection begins, he said. Mr Chan said the goal of the salary framework is to provide enough range and flexibility to attract a strong and diverse group of political leaders. Pay is not the be all and end all, but we cannot pretend it is not relevant, he said. He went on to clarify details of the framework and address concerns and suggestions raised during the debate. They include the ministerial salary benchmark and variability in payouts, incorporating new indicators into the framework, using role-based comparators instead of top earners to benchmark salaries and the challenges of multi-year assessments.