President paid annually $2.5million to cut ribbons

last SG · 2006-01-20T23:44:21+00:00

The citizens of Singapore think that the ministers are getting too expensive . Outsourcing is clearly the way to go.

tohyi SG

According to the Straits Times today parliment increased the Presidents salary by $100k to a new annual salary of $2.5million . Not bad for a guy who spends most of the time cutting ribbions and entertains guest at the Istana Plus he is ‘supposed’ to keep an eye on the government machinery. Even George Bush does not get paid that much when he has the entire worlds problems on his shoulders! George Bush salary is US$400,000 (S$ 672,000) Are we Singaporean taxpayers getting value for money on the Presidents salary? How does the Minstry of Finance justify such fat cat salaries for mainly ceremonial roles?

ndmmxiaomayi SG

Sure or not?

Cut ribbons only? So good?

TehJarVu SG

wo yao zuo zhong tong~!!!

aRcTiC_sTaR SG

So how much is George Bush getting paid, since you made a reference to him.

Atobe SG

Those who have occupied the Elected President's seat have been working with the Ruling Party for more then two or three decades.

Since the Elected Presidency was created only two have been "elected" to this position, and both can be seen to be Political Appointments.

This Elected President's appointment is a politically sensitive appointment as the Elected President has been given new responsibility to be a watch-dog over the National Reserves, and supposedly to prevent the Cabinet from abusing the National Reserves.

The late Ong Teng Cheong, and the present President Sellapan Ramanathan - both were loyal supporter and servant to the Ruling Party.

Prior to the Elected Presidency being created, those who were selected and nominated by the POWER OF ONE for Parliamentary approval - were less politicized and were truly seen as Head of State.

We had the Yang di-Pertuan Negara, the late Inche Yusuf bin Ishak, followed by the late Dr Benjamin H Sheares; after which a politics came into play with the appointment of C.V. Devan Nair till his dismissal in 1985, when a non-political figure in the late Wee Kim Wee was asked to restore the image of the Presidency - and he served until 1993.

For Wage Comparison : See reference site

Government Wages - Comparison
http://www.alwayson-network.com/comments.php?id=P900_0_5_0_C

countdracula SG

didn’t you hear? it’s called the Selected Presidency now….

tohyi SG

A US President gets paid annualy US$400,000 (S$672,000). Everyone knows that. So how is it that our Mr. Nathan gets paid $2,507,000 (US$1,500,000) for cutting ribbons? By the way I'm sure this S$2.5million does not even include Mr. Nathans healthcare benefits, pension pot when he retires etc. What is the value of his benefits package in total? How come NO MP objects to the size of the Presidents salary during any parliment sittings?

Check out CNN Report below
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bushes pay $268,719 in federal taxes
Cheneys report $945,051 in income

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush and first lady Laura Bush earned $771,940 in taxable income this past year and paid $268,719 in federal income taxes, the White House said Friday.

Both figures are up from 2001, when the first family reported $711,453 and paid $250,221 in federal taxes.

This past year's earnings included the president's $400,000 annual salary and income from trusts, the White House said.

The Bushes donated $82,700 to churches and charitable organizations, ranging from donations to September 11 charitable funds, and to the Tarrytown United Methodist Church in Austin, Texas, and Southern Methodist University, Mrs. Bush's alma mater.

Vice President Dick Cheney and Lynne Cheney made $945,051 in 2002 and got a tax refund of $95,858. The Cheneys had paid $436,972 in taxes through withholding and estimated tax payments, when it turned out they owed $341,114, his office said.

The income included the vice president's $190,134 salary. In addition, Cheney earned $162,392 as a result of deferred compensation from when he headed Halliburton Company. In December 1998, Cheney deferred his 1999 salary as Halliburton chief executive, electing instead for it to be paid over five years, his office said.

The Cheneys' income also included Lynne Cheney's earnings for her work at American Enterprise Institute, Reader's Digest and American Express Mutual Funds.

The Cheneys donated $121,983 to charity in 2002, most of it from donating Mrs. Cheney's royalties from her book "America: A Patriotic Primer" and her forthcoming book "A is for Abigail."

DailyFreeGames.com SG

Hahaha, object for what? All same people together friend friend, those that object cannot be heard, because the parliament seats dominated by PAP. Shucks, where's the democracy in our society?

ceecookie SG

2.5 million is peanuts Laughing

SoulFire21 SG

hmm.. Rolling Eyes

Lowclassman SG

These people of the govt will bring along our tax payers' money when they passed away desperately. Mr. Green

claudetnt SG

Atobe:

"---Those who have occupied the Elected President's seat have been working with the Ruling Party for more then two or three decades.---"

In fact you're only quite right, except for late Dr Benjamin H Sheares all our past Presidents were servants of the PAP and were Political Appointments!

pearlie27 SG

He also poses for picture with us when we visit the Istana during the open house. He has to smile until face gets frozen you know?

shinta SG

Laughing

cornyfish2000 SG

Of course... highest paid job in the country which everyone is eyeing for but which almost everyone does not qualify for... Twisted Evil

claudetnt SG

Better days ahead after the elections all the ministers and MPs salaries will be raised.

robertteh SG

With the latest salary raise of President Nathan, citizens have every right to ask :

What are the criteria for giving salaries increments or bonuses to our leaders, e.g. president, speaker of the house, prime minister, minister mentor, senior minister, senior ministers of state, ..and senior civil servants etc.

Is there any objective and independent yardstick such as posted at Government Performance Benchmark in this forum to assess the effectiveness, efficiency or abilities of president. ministers and government's officers?

In assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of the government, will consideration be given to the prolonged recessions during 1997-2002 when hundreds and thousands of jobs were lost and ministers are putting the blames on external forces. If their effectivenss or efficiency is discovered or reported only after and long after other Asian Tiger economies have recovered, could the GDP growths of 5.5 % in 2005 be fairly and accountably attributed to our ministers' efforts and abilities to let them quote the GDP to give them the salaries increments and exceptional self-approved rewards in the manner is being done in President Nathan's raise.

Finally, the government has based its ministers' salaries and bonuses and retirement annuities on some talents equated formula. Are they now saying that President Nathan has to be given more monies to be more talented in his works or to avoid or prevent corruptions?

If we are to accept the government's recommendation of ministers' salaries and use president Nathan's case as a test for such rationale e.g. talent base, corruption prevention or implementation results, can we have some figures to show in fact there is a correlated relationship of these 3 variables.

Ito_^ SG

seriously, i don't like how our ministers and president are getting paid. Mad

cornyfish2000 SG

I think the official government's rationale is that...

1) we need to pay the ministers and the president a high salary or else they will succumb to corruption.

2) If the salary is not high enough, the capable people will not want to serve the country as ministers and president.

Now, what does this imply as to the quality of our nation's leaders? That

a) they are serving now only because of the high pay, and

b) that they have not gone corrupt only because they are paid so much?

Confused Rolling Eyes

Hengolobin SG

i agree. So they are like serving not because they truly want to serve singapore ? Who gets to say in the cap of the ministers wage ? There are singaporeans out there who are jobless or get paid very little barely enough to support their family. There should be more transparency on the wage of the nation's leaders, the ministers. Singapore has been on the move to towards an open society so why shouldn't we know how much out leaders earn ? Since we contribute by paying CPF and other taxes.