REMUNERATION OF SPEAKER

The Leader of the House (Mr Wong Kan Seng): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move,

That, pursuant to Article 41 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, the Speaker shall be paid with effect from 25th March 2002:-

(1) a monthly salary and allowance equal to 50 per cent of 1.64 times the salary and allowance payable to a Senior Administrative Officer on the minimum point of the Ministerial Range 4 (MR4) as specified in the Senior Administrative Officers' Scheme of Service;

(2) a non-pensionable annual fixed bonus pegged at the norm Performance Bonus rate of a Senior Administrative Officer on the minimum point of the Ministerial Range 4 (MR4) as specified in the Senior Administrative Officers' Scheme of Service; and

(3) a GDP Bonus pegged at the GDP Bonus rates payable to a Senior Administrative Officer on the minimum point of the Ministerial Range 4 (MR4) as specified in the Senior Administrative Officers' Scheme of Service.

Sir, in accordance with the Constitution, Parliament has to decide whenever a new Speaker takes office, what he is to be paid. Previous Speakers performed their Parliamentary duties part-time. This part-time arrangement has worked well over the years, and will continue. There is no need, in the foreseeable future, for a full-time Speaker, as among other things, Parliament does not sit every day.

The Speaker's full remuneration, like those of Ministers and other elected office bearers, is pegged onto the salary scales of the Senior Administrative Officers' Scheme of Service.

Parliament is requested to approve this motion, to fix the Speaker's remuneration to 50% of the full-time rate.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That, pursuant to Article 41 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, the Speaker shall be paid with effect from 25th March 2002:-

(1) a monthly salary and allowance equal to 50 per cent of 1.64 times the salary and allowance payable to a Senior Administrative Officer on the minimum point of the Ministerial Range 4 (MR4) as specified in the Senior Administrative Officers' Scheme of Service;

(2) a non-pensionable annual fixed bonus pegged at the norm Performance Bonus rate of a Senior Administrative Officer on the minimum point of the Ministerial Range 4 (MR4) as specified in the Senior Administrative Officers' Scheme of Service; and

(3) a GDP Bonus pegged at the GDP Bonus rates payable to a Senior Administrative Officer on the minimum point of the Ministerial Range 4 (MR4) as specified in the Senior Administrative Officers' Scheme of Service.