Parliament approves increase to budget of President’s office

Operating costs have risen since the last changes. Parliament approves increase to budget of President’s officeSign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxThe changes, which Parliament approved with no clarifications, will take effect from the 2025 financial year.PHOTO: ST FILEChin Soo FangSummarySummaryParliament approved an additional $2,559,100 for the Civil List, covering expenses for the Office of the Istana.Increased allocations include salaries for President's staff (from $6,696,700 to $7,318,000) and Istana operating expenses due to rising costs.Adjustments are effective from the 2025 financial year and are due to higher costs, including for IT security and manpower.AI generatedPublished Mar 06, 2026, 04:39 PMUpdated Mar 06, 2026, 04:45 PMSINGAPORE - Parliament on March 6 approved the allocation of an additional $2,559,100 to the Civil List, which specifies the expenditure for the Office of the Istana.For the salaries of President Tharman Shanumgaratnam’s personal staff, the amount set aside is $7,318,000, up from $6,696,700.The amount set aside for the President’s household and Istana‑related operating expenses was raised to $4,542,000, from $3,342,200.For expenses under “special services”, the amount has been increased from $550,000 to $1,288,000. This sum is used to cover projects that do not fall into the other categories, such as the replacement of state cars.​The other expenditure items under the Civil List, including the President’s salary and entertainment allowance, were unchanged.Second Minister for Finance Indranee Rajah said the latest adjustments were needed as operating costs have risen since the Civil List was last adjusted in the 2022 financial year. The increase in allocation for salaries of the President’s personal staff caters to increases in costs and number of staff, she said. Meanwhile, costs have also risen to maintain and secure IT systems, as well as to organise official events at the Istana while its main building undergoes major restoration works.Restoration works on the Istana’s main building commenced in the second half of 2024, and are expected to be completed in 2027.Ms Indranee said expenditure variations for the President’s Office have also arisen as some expenditures have been re-categorised to better reflect the nature of such costs.For instance, the expenditure for public officers seconded to the president’s office has been moved from “salaries of personal staff” to “special services”. This is because public officers who are seconded to the President’s office are not part of the President’s personal staff, she said.The changes, which Parliament approved with no clarifications, will take effect from the 2025 financial year. The last time the Civil List was adjusted was in 2023, when Madam Halimah Yacob was the president.Mr Chee Hong Tat, who was then Senior Minister of State for Finance, had proposed changes to the salaries of personal staff due to factors such as civil service salary adjustments, as well as changes to the household expense budget to cater for higher information technology costs.He said then that he expected the increases to be sufficient for up to the 2025 financial year.More on this topicAbout 22,000 civil servants to get pay rise of between 2% and 9% from AugustVisitors to Istana treated to refreshed heritage tourChin Soo Fang is senior correspondent at The Straits Times, covering a wide range of topics including community, politics, social issues, consumer, culture and heritage.See more onSingapore ParliamentBudget 2026Tharman ShanmugaratnamIstana