Highest paid world leader to get salary increase of $1 million

Singapore’s government announced it will increase the annual salaries of ministers and other office‑holders, including the prime minister who is currently the world’s highest‑paid public official. Lawrence Wong is set to receive an additional 1.4 million Singapore dollars – equivalent to $1.1 million or £818,000 – on top of his existing yearly package. He said he will donate that increase to charity over the next five years. Wong argued that raising ministerial pay is necessary to attract better talent and noted that the administration has previously contended that high salaries help deter corruption. The move has drawn criticism in Singapore, where many express concern over job security and the rising cost of living. Even before the raise takes effect, Wong remains by far the highest‑paid government leader worldwide. He presently earns S$2.2 million a year and will see his salary rise by more than 60 % to S$3.6 million. In comparison, Hong Kong’s chief executive John Lee earns about $719,000, Switzerland’s president Guy Parmelin receives roughly $606,000, U.S. President Donald Trump is paid $400,000 annually, and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham takes home $230,000. On Tuesday Wong acknowledged that ministerial salaries have attracted scrutiny because they far exceed what most citizens earn. The median monthly income in Singapore stands at 5,775 Singapore dollars. He added that he has struggled to convince business leaders and senior civil servants to run for office, stating, “we bash not marque the fiscal hurdle unnecessarily high” for them to leave their careers and enter politics. “Overall, I judge this volition springiness maine and aboriginal premier ministers a amended accidental of persuading susceptible Singaporeans to measurement forward, and of gathering the strongest imaginable squad for Singapore,” he said. Currently, the base salary package for ministers is around S$1.1 million. Under the new scheme that figure will rise to approximately S$1.2 million. Wong expects most ministers to ultimately earn nearer to S$1.35 million by the end of the current governmental term, as pay will be adjusted according to performance. A portion of ministerial compensation is tied to whether the country meets specific targets for unemployment, income growth and GDP expansion. The issue of high ministerial pay has long been a flashpoint for criticism of the ruling People’s Action Party, which has governed Singapore since independence. In the 2011 general election the PAP recorded its lowest vote share in decades, a result partly driven by voter dissatisfaction with ministerial salaries and migration policies. The following year the government reduced those salaries. Wong’s predecessor, Lee Hsien Loong, had similarly pledged to donate his salary increase to charity for several years dating back to 2007. Authorities have repeatedly cited Singapore’s clean‑government record – the city‑state consistently ranks near the top of Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index – as evidence that the ministerial pay model works by reducing the temptation to accept bribes. Nevertheless, in a nation where the yearly median income is far below such figures, the debate remains contentious, and the latest announcement proved no exception. On Tuesday numerous online comments criticised the raise as “tone deaf” given ongoing worries about layoffs, opportunities for new graduates and inflation. Official data show retrenchments in Singapore hit their highest level in more than five years during the most recent quarter. A minority of respondents supported the increase, arguing it is essential to secure “the champion of the best” to run the country.