"
Singapore's
politicians, already among the best paid in the world, will get a salary hike
next year with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong enjoying a 21 percent rise to
3.76 million Singapore dollars ($2.6 million)," reported Reuters.
Eat your
hearts out, George Bush, Gordon Brown and all ye other leaders of the free
world. Go green (with envy).
"Singapore's GDP per capita of $29,000 is only second to Japan in Asia, but its income inequality is more in line with third-world countries," said Reuters.
I don't know about that. But I do know now that PM Lee will be paid:
- More than six times as much as US President George W Bush
- Seven times as much as British Prime Minister Gordon Brown
- Seven and a half times as much as French President Nicolas Sarkozy
- Eight times as much as German Chancellor Angela Merkel
- 32 times as much as Russian President Vladimir Putin.
I realised that after reading this report in Forbes. It says:
- Bush is paid $400,000 a year, while his No. 2, Dick Cheney, pulls down $208,575.
- Gordon Brown gets $375,000.
- Nicolas Sarkozy draws $346,000.
- Angela Merkel is paid $318,000.
- Putin's official salary is $81,000.
"Top of the tree by some degree is Singapore Premier Lee Hsien Loong," said Forbes.
Singapore's other leaders are getting a pay rise too. Reuters reported:
President SR Nathan will receive 3.87 million Singapore dollars next year, while members of parliament, most of whom hold full-time jobs outside politics, will get an allowance of 225,000 Singapore dollars a year.
Singapore politicians peg their salaries to those of the country's highest-paid doctors, lawyers, bankers and other professionals and executives.
"In this tight labour market, where private sector salaries have moved up significantly, the civil service needs to follow promptly in order to attract and retain good people," the report quoted Teo Chee Hean, minister in charge of the civil service, as saying.
