Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Better salary benchmarks, more productive use of general elections.

Impressive U can get photo on demand.

That said, me thinks that the SG Ministers still don't really care about the average man and they are still branding themselves as some messiahs: God's gift to Singapore because there isn't a peg in their main salary to the average man. I was thinking that a salary 25% based on the median income, 75% based perhaps on the average of the top 1000 salary earners in Singapore would be a good start but set to 50% each after the next election (5yrs). Please note that the top 1000 might include senior civil servants who might also be fairly well paid. The average for the top 1000 also means that if someone takes home say $20M/annum, that amount would be added to the average, this way, Ministers would strive towards a fairer, more cohesive society rather then achieving new world records where the Gini coefficient is concerned. - 'Countries with the Biggest Gaps Between Rich and Poor', (by Bruce Einhorn): "No. 2 Singapore-.. Ratio of income or expenditure, share of top 10% to lowest 10%: 17.7". [BW,16Oct2009].

That said, since it has been decided that each Minister may earn, as I understand, up to 13.5 months more salary in bonuses each year, this remains an oddity as shouldn't Ministers by virtue of the mandate earned through elections should automatically be focused on serving their electorate. They do not need to be rewarded like dogs every time they perform a new trick. Their salaries are already pegged to the pinnacle of salaries, no Minister should earn in excess of 12 months of bonus.
Using an example of 12 months being the legislated maximum bonus attainable, then 6 months should be decided annually by the prime minister in combination with the use of a matrix, and the other 6 months decided on a uniform Cabinet basis, across the board, for political position holders as decided on by the electorate voting during general elections.

This can be done by having an additional booth at voting centers where voters re-register again to submit their feedback about how much, bonus, out of the remaining max. 6 months worth, political office holders ought receive (there shall be no performance bonus for MPs). This shall be in the form of a unique feedback card (also serial numbered) with 8 boxes: boxes for 0 to 6 months bonus and 1 last box to abstain. This feed back vote would not be compulsory (unlike at the election voting booth) and the ticking of more then one box would result in a spoilt 'vote'. This bonus shall be payable to all political office holders regardless of party affiliation and unless removed from Cabinet position by virtue of criminality or corruption or a vote of non-confidence. Such feedback is secret and voter anonymity respected and the count done only after all local election results are finalized. The 'bonus' feedback voting system being observed by both the incumbent MP as well as the contesting candidates currently participating in the general election.

The addition Cabinet salary bonus voting system, in addition to making more productive use of the voting day for the general elections, would be productive towards the better the assessment and analysis of the performance political office holders; and secondly, with the 5yrly and team based review, would encourage Ministers not to practice one-upmanship or brinkmanship just to hoodwink the Prime Minister annually, but to adopt a team based approach, knowing that at up to 50% of their bonus salary for their term in office would be decided by the voters during the next election.

Singapore has a first world economy. Shouldn't Singapore too lead the world in the conduct of political elections, not just to elect future leaders but also in the judgement and reward immediate past leaders for their political service to the people of Singapore?
__________________
=========================
At: 
HWZ:
05Jan2012: Pay review!

No comments:

Post a Comment