SINGAPORE — All ministers and other political office-holders will take an extra two-month pay cut, on top of the one-month cut announced last month to show solidarity with Singaporeans during the Covid-19 crisis.

Speaking towards the end of his ministerial statement on the second stimulus package to help the country cope with the pandemic, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat announced in Parliament on Thursday (March 26) that all political office-holders would take pay cuts totalling three months.

President Halimah Yacob, Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin and Deputy Speakers of Parliament Lim Biow Chuan and Charles Chong will follow suit, Mr Heng said.

“It is in times of crisis that the true character of a nation can be seen. We are all in this together,” Mr Heng said.

The Government had announced in February that all Members of Parliament would have their allowance cut by one month, and some senior public service officers would take a half-month pay cut. These officers included permanent secretaries, deputy secretaries and chief executives of statutory boards.

Over the past month or so, several big-name Singapore companies have already announced pay cuts for their senior management, among other cost-cutting measures.