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Salaries and sacrifices: What needs to be done

Cabinet ministers taking their oath at the swearing-in ceremony earlier this year. (Yahoo! photo)
Cabinet ministers taking their oath at the swearing-in ceremony earlier this year. (Yahoo! photo)

By P N Balji

Gerard Ee and his ministerial salary review committee have two fresh and important points to consider as they begin to finalise their recommendations.

Both the points, delivered by the Prime Minister in a speech at the first session of the new Parliament on 20 October, were not made in the context of the review. But they are likely to become debating points when the recommendations are made public.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong predicted a reduced economic growth rate of 3 to 5 per cent and went further by saying: "...if we can make 3 per cent plus consistently over the next 10 years, we would have had a good decade."

A slower growth is something Singaporeans had been told to expect for sometime. But this time round, the PM was making the point more sharply and in a more definitive manner.

The more worrying revelation was his admission that Singapore society was stratifying, "which means the children of successful people are doing less well; fewer children from lower-income families are rising to the top of the heap."

Taken together, they should translate into a much lower salary paradigm for our ministers.

A government that has predicated its existence and survival on high growth and has argued vigorously that ministers should be paid high salaries because they are mainly responsible for Singapore's GDP must now come to the conclusion that the reverse must also apply.

That is, lower salary for lower growth.

As for the sharper income inequality, ministers are duty bound to set the example by not contributing to the further stratification of society.

A recent report by Investopedia showed how serious the divide is: PM Lee's salary is 38 times that of the average Joe. That kind of statistic is unsustainable in a new era of political consciousness.

How to get come out with a set of figures that will attract political talent and yet not be a contentious issue election year after election year?

Consider this: Make that bold decision to pay ministers a much lower basic salary and use a hefty variable bonus element to reward high quality work at the end of the year.

Those officials whose ministries have made a Singapore a safer, better and happier place to live in can be rewarded with good bonuses every year.

This brings about transparency in the system and does away with the need to pay all ministers, good and bad, the same salaries.

Public service needs some sacrifices; a new salary regime that rewards good work is definitely one. It is time for the real public servant to stand up -- and be counted.

P N Balji, who was a journalist for more than 35 years, is now a media consultant.