Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong clarified this in a reply to a question for written answer in Parliament.

He added that political office holders who are employed as GIC's staff also do not get director's fees.

On a question on the numbers of permanent residents, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said that over the last ten years, an average of 36,000 people were granted PR status in Singapore annually.

And some 8500 PRs become citizens every year.

Another topic raised was the current wage gap between men and women in Singapore.

According to Manpower Minister Ng Eng Hen, the median gross monthly income for women was 86 percent that of men last year.

He said such a pattern is not unique to Singapore.

But what is different in Singapore's case is that at the start of their careers, women in the age group of 25 to 29 earn more than their male counterparts if they are managers, professionals and sales and service workers.

After that, however, more women leave the workforce earlier for family and other reasons.

And this affects their length of working experience, which is why women have lower salaries. - CNA/ir

    
                                                               Home