Singapore committee submits ministerial salary review report

A committee that was set up to review the salaries of government ministers submitted its report to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday afternoon, the committee said on Friday. The committee was set up in the aftermath of the general election in May this year, when voters called for a review of the salaries of office holders, including the prime minister and the president. The salaries of Singapore prime minister and president were among the highest in the world. Most recent data showed that the cabinet ministers earned between 1.57 million and 3.04 million Singapore dollars (between 1.28 and 2.47 million U.S. dollars) in 2009. In comparison, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard takes home about 345,000 U.S. dollars. Their salaries were pegged to the top earners in the private sectors. Gerard Ee, chairman of the committee, confirmed that it had submitted the report on Friday. Local broadcaster Channel NewsAsia said the report is expected to be made public in early January next year. Several lawmakers said that the report is expected to be debated in parliament soon, it said.