{
  "id": 6531369,
  "title": "Money the easiest hurdle to tackle to convince quality individuals to enter politics: Analysts",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/money-the-easiest-hurdle-to-tackle-to-convince-quality-individuals-to",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-09T17:03:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mothership",
    "slug": "mothership",
    "url": "https://mothership.sg/2026/09/ministerial-salaries-hurdles-analysts/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The government of Singapore has recently approved salary increases for political appointment holders, a move that has garnered attention internationally. The adjustments, which will take effect from October 15, 2026, are the first in 15 years and will result in ministers earning up to S$1.8 million, a significant increase from the previous S$1.1 million. This change aims to attract top talent and build a strong political team for the country. However, experts argue that while higher salaries can help alleviate one hurdle in recruiting quality individuals, it is not the sole factor in convincing them to enter politics. Some point out that top earners in the private sector make significantly more money, making it difficult to compete with those salaries. Nevertheless, the government believes that increasing salaries is a crucial step to reduce any potential deterrence and provide flexibility in their recruitment efforts.",
  "summary": "Analysts told Mothership that there is never a good time for ministerial salary increments.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}