Motion: Kenneth Goh on government response to political salaries review

Is the right benchmark being used for ministerial pay? NMP Kenneth Goh posed this question in parliament on Thursday (Sep 10). Simply being highly paid does not make a private sector role comparable to that of a minister, he said. So, instead of starting with Singapore’s top earners, he suggested identifying roles with similar levels of skill, judgement, complexity and responsibility, and examining what they pay. Future reviews could test the current benchmark against this alternative comparison group. Noting that private sector incomes can fluctuate, while some professions have relatively short periods of peak earnings, he proposed looking at average earnings over three to five years. Once a credible benchmark is established, the political service discount could be replaced with a “compensating premium” that recognises the burdens of political office. Assoc Prof Goh also called for the inclusion of indicators that assess whether political leaders are leaving Singapore stronger for the future. He spoke in parliament on Thursday (Sep 10).