Singapore raises ministerial and prime ministerial salaries for first time since 2012

Singapore's government accepted an independent committee's recommendations to raise ministerial salary benchmarks, with the prime minister's benchmark rising from S$2.2 million to S$3.6 million and entry-level ministerial pay from S$1.1 million to S$1.8 million. Existing office holders will receive a one-time adjustment of up to 9% from October 15, 2026, rather than immediately moving to new benchmarks. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said he would donate his salary increase to charity for five years and defended the raises as necessary to attract talent and maintain clean governance.