Wages

The gap in overall pay between men and women stood at 6.9% in April last year

Failing to keep salaries competitive could leave the Republic short of good leadership, he adds

The benchmark salary for starting-grade MR4 ministers will rise to S$1.8 million a year, among other changes

The indicator could be included in National Bonus targets, but analysts are divided on what should be included

The government also agrees to explore including a ‘robust’ quality-of-life measure in the framework

The yearly increase is still below the wage growth of median and lower-income Singaporean workers

The current framework was established in 2012 and has not been updated since

An MR4 minister who receives the full 9% would get about S$1.2 million; MPs’ monthly allowances will be revised to S$18,500

In return, Singaporeans expect high standards and accountability from their political leaders, he says