President paid annually $2.5million to cut ribbons
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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?
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Sure or not?
Cut ribbons only? So good? -
wo yao zuo zhong tong~!!!
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So how much is George Bush getting paid, since you made a reference to him.
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Those who have occupied the Elected President's seat have been working with the Ruling Party for more then two or three decades.Originally posted by aRcTiC_sTaR:So how much is George Bush getting paid, since you made a reference to him.
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 -
didn't you hear? it's called the Selected Presidency now....
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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
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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." -
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?Originally posted by tohyi:How come NO MP objects to the size of the Presidents salary during any parliment sittings? -
2.5 million is peanutsOriginally posted by tohyi: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! Are we Singaporean taxpayers getting value for money on the Presidents salary? How does the Minstry of Finance justify such huge salaries for mainly ceremonial roles?
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hmm..
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These people of the govt will bring along our tax payers' money when they passed away desperately.Originally posted by tohyi: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?
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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! -
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?Originally posted by tohyi: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? -
Originally posted by pearlie27: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?
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Of course... highest paid job in the country which everyone is eyeing for but which almost everyone does not qualify for...
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Better days ahead after the elections all the ministers and MPs salaries will be raised.
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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. -
seriously, i don't like how our ministers and president are getting paid.
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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?
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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.Originally posted by cornyfish2000: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? -
robertteh:
"---Is there any objective and independent yardstick---"
sadly the yardstick is that you have to be a YES person and look at the president and the all the merry men.
Most Singaporeans are suckers of the highest order for grabbing the crumbs thrown to them each time during election and for electing these people then getting upset when they are paid Exorbitant salaries. -
What for you guys whine? Work hard and you too will be rewarded. Whining won't get you anywhere in life man.
cheers -
The reason for his pay rise is the "rise" in the economic situation.
There are still people that are jobless and starving out there.
What contribution did the president make in IMPROVING the economy for last year ???
It will be a clear sign that the next salary rise will be given to the million dollar minister after the election victory.
For killing dengue mosquitos that they have created through building useless gutters at every bus stop.
For putting millions of dollars in planting water and building shelter and making the people pay for it. (They termed it as UPGRADE)
For killing all the rooster and chickens at Pulau Ubin in the name of bird flu ?
For boosting the billions of national reserves for Singapore and at the same time, making the Singapore people suffer as the biggest and longest debtors in the whole world.
For exposing and punishing a Kidney Organisation in which they have first at fault in not monitoring the growing monster.
For creating more traffic jam in the next three years through "low" COE for the next three months, in which the people will be blamed and punished through the increase in ERP charges and parking fines.
All the hard earned money will be paid to the elite that will continue to create more opportunity to suck more money.
What is paid to the people now will be suck back twice or more in the next three years.
It is just a vicious cycle here. -
If Government do not approve a pay rise for the President now, how will it justify the next round of pay increases for Ministers and MPs?
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Work hard and gets results first, then ask for a raise.