Civil List
Speakers
Summary
This motion concerns the variation of the Civil List to address rising operating costs for the President's Office since its last adjustment in 2012. Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat proposed increasing Class II expenditures for personal staff salaries to $6,696,700 and Class III household expenses to $3,342,200. These adjustments account for manpower salary adjustments and higher IT security requirements, while Class I and Class IV expenditures remain unchanged. Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat stated that these revised sums are expected to be sufficient for the office’s expenditure needs through FY2025. Parliament subsequently resolved to approve the motion and varied the figures in the Schedule to the Civil List and Gratuity Act 1970.
Transcript
7.26 pm
The Senior Minister of State for Finance (Mr Chee Hong Tat): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move,
That this Parliament, pursuant to section 7 of the Civil List and Gratuity Act 1970, resolves that the Schedule to that Act be varied by deleting the figures "$4,532,400" and "$2,762,300" in the second column, and substituting for them the figures "$6,696,700" and "$3,342,200" respectively.
Sir, the Civil list was last adjusted for FY2012. Operating costs have risen over the last decade. The President's Office has been able to manage within its budget by re-allocating savings across expenditure across Classes II, III and IV. It is provided for under section 5(2) of the CLGA.
To enable the President's Office to continue to meet its expenditure needs, I propose to vary the sums in Class II and Class III of the Civil List. The provisions for Class I expenditures relating to the President's salary and entertainment allowance and Class IV expenditures concerning special services will remain unchanged.
For Class II expenditures, in respect of the salaries of personal staff, these were last increased for FY2010. The proposed increase more than 10 years later is to cater for increases in expenditure on manpower, including the Civil Service salary adjustments announced last year. Therefore, I propose an increase from $4,532,400, to $6,696,700 for Class II expenditures.
For Class III expenditures, which provide for the expenses of household, I propose an increase from $2,762,300 to $3,342,200. This is to cater for higher IT costs, including IT security. We expect this round of increase to be sufficient for up to FY2025. Sir, I beg to move.
Question put, and agreed to.
Resolved,
That this Parliament, pursuant to section 7 of the Civil List and Gratuity Act 1970, resolves that the Schedule to that Act be varied by deleting the figures "$4,532,400" and "$2,762,300" in the second column and substituting for them the figures "$6,696,700" and "$3,342,200" respectively.
Mr Speaker: Leader.