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Coffeeshop Chit Chat - PM Lee justified his high pay on US TV</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead vAlign=top><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>kojakbt_89 <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>3:59 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 16) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>31838.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>PM Lee justified “realistic” pay policies on U.S. TV
April 17th, 2010 |
Author: Our Correspondent
Written by Our Correspondent
http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/04/17/pm-lee-justified-realistic-pay-policies-on-u-s-tv/
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had openly defended the astronomical salaries of his minister on a U.S. TV Talkshow.
In response to a question posed by Mr Phil Ponce, host of Chicago Tonight if the United States should follow Singapore’s example and pay higher salaries to its politicians and top officials to control corruption, PM Lee said that itwas “imperative” that Singapore got this policy right even as he acknowledged that it was an unpopular issue with voters.
“What can be more responsible than running a central bank in an economy or running an education system where you are not only dealing with billions of dollars, but where if you make a mistake, the livelihood or the future of millions of people will be at stake,” he said.
Chicago was rocked by a sensational corruption scandal a year ago when former Illinois governor Mr Rod Blagojevich was accused of trying to ’sell’ the Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama.
PM Lee is probably the highest paid Prime Minister in the world. He currently earns about S$3 million dollars a year or more than 6 times the annual salary of U.S. President Barack Obama.
Even a junior Singapore minister earns more than the most powerful man in the world.
Justifying the need for high salaries to get the “best” person in the government, PM Lee added:
“……You want the best person, and you want him to be properly motivated and focused on his job and not based on revolving door.”
PM Lee and his colleagues are expected to receive a massive 8.8 percent pay hike this year on the back of the improving economy.
An unknown percentage of their multi-million salary package is pegged to GDP growth
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Written by Our Correspondent
http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/04/17/pm-lee-justified-realistic-pay-policies-on-u-s-tv/
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had openly defended the astronomical salaries of his minister on a U.S. TV Talkshow.
In response to a question posed by Mr Phil Ponce, host of Chicago Tonight if the United States should follow Singapore’s example and pay higher salaries to its politicians and top officials to control corruption, PM Lee said that itwas “imperative” that Singapore got this policy right even as he acknowledged that it was an unpopular issue with voters.
“What can be more responsible than running a central bank in an economy or running an education system where you are not only dealing with billions of dollars, but where if you make a mistake, the livelihood or the future of millions of people will be at stake,” he said.
Chicago was rocked by a sensational corruption scandal a year ago when former Illinois governor Mr Rod Blagojevich was accused of trying to ’sell’ the Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama.
PM Lee is probably the highest paid Prime Minister in the world. He currently earns about S$3 million dollars a year or more than 6 times the annual salary of U.S. President Barack Obama.
Even a junior Singapore minister earns more than the most powerful man in the world.
Justifying the need for high salaries to get the “best” person in the government, PM Lee added:
“……You want the best person, and you want him to be properly motivated and focused on his job and not based on revolving door.”
PM Lee and his colleagues are expected to receive a massive 8.8 percent pay hike this year on the back of the improving economy.
An unknown percentage of their multi-million salary package is pegged to GDP growth
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