SALARY OF AUDITOR-GENERAL

The Minister for Finance (Mr Hon Sui Sen): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the Motion* standing in my name, as it appears on the Order Paper.

• The motion reads as follows:

That this Parliament, pursuant to subsection (4) of section 3 of the Audit Act (Chapter 60), resolves that the personal salary of the present holder of the office of Auditor-General, with effect from 1st November 1981, be $6,490 per month, instead of $5,050 per month which is the salary attached to that office.

I propose that the salary of the present holder of the post of Auditor-General, who is now on substantive Superscale 'D' grade with a consolidated salary of $5,050 per month, be upgraded to Superscale 'C' at a consolidated salary of $6,490. The present Auditor-General has been extremely diligent in discharging his duties and has shown leadership qualities which have been commented on favourably by the Chairman of our Public Accounts Committee.

A survey of 26 countries indicates that three of them grade their Auditor-General above their Permanent Secretaries, 21 as comparable and two below. Our Auditor-General has been one step below the minimum grade for substantive Permanent Secretaries. It is considered that whatever the proper relationship between the posts should be, the present holder on his merits should be promoted to Superscale 'C', personal to himself.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this Parliament, pursuant to subsection (4) of section 3 of the Audit Act (Chapter 60), resolves that the personal salary of the present holder of the office of Auditor-General, with effect from 1st November 1981, be $6,490 per month, instead of $5,050 per month which is the salary attached to that office.