On September 8, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced the reform. The current salary system for politicians has not been significantly revised since 2011. However, S$1.8 million is not the salary that all ministers will start receiving immediately. In the first phase, their compensation will increase by a maximum of 9%. For example, a basic-level minister (MR4) will receive about S$1.2 million per year instead of the current approximately S$1.1 million. In the future, salaries will gradually increase and depend on the position and performance results. Wong expects that by the end of the current government term, most basic-level ministers will earn around S$1.35 million per year. ### Prime Minister – S$3.6 Million According to the formula adopted in Singapore, the Prime Minister's salary is tied to the ministerial benchmark. After the reform, the calculated annual compensation for the head of government increases from **S$2.2 million to S$3.6 million**, or approximately 64%. Lawrence Wong himself stated that over the next five years, if he remains Prime Minister, he will **donate the entire increase received from the reform to charity**. Singaporean authorities explain the high salaries as a necessity to compete for strong leaders with the private sector and to reduce corruption risks. Wong mentioned that before the last elections, he tried to attract several high-ranking officials and company executives to politics, but all of them declined. For comparison, the median income of a working resident of Singapore in 2025 was about **S$5,775 per month**. The compensation for Members of Parliament is also increasing: starting October 15, it will rise from **S$13,750 to S$18,500 per month**. At the same time, a significant portion of ministers' income will remain variable and depend on the country's economic indicators and individual performance evaluations.
