Parliament
Parliament: Does holding more portfolios mean getting paid more salaries?
One person, one salary.
September 09, 2026, 09:35 AM
Does having more portfolios mean getting paid more?
Does a minister also get the Member of Parliament (MP) allowance too?
If you have such questions in mind, here's the answer.
The current practice is to pay all political appointment holders one salary package, even if they hold two or more appointments or portfolio.
The government has also accepted the 2026 Salary Review Committee's recommendation to retain this practice.
"The principle is simple – one person, one salary. Holding more portfolios does not mean receiving more pay," Coordinating Minister for Public Services Chan Chun Sing said in his ministerial statement in parliament on Sep. 8.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Chan both gave ministerial statements on the adjustment to political appointment holders' salaries.
This is the first adjustment in 15 years.
The political appointment holders' salaries have to be adjusted so that monetary remuneration will not be a deterrence for talent, from both private and public sectors, to enter political service.
