Civil servants to receive 0.6-month year-end bonus

SINGAPORE - All civil servants will get a 0.6-month year-end bonus, the Public Service Division (PSD) said on Nov 27.

Those in grades equivalent to MX13(I) and MX14 will receive an additional lump sum of $400, it added.

Civil servants in grades equivalent to MX15 and MX16 and those under the Operations Support Scheme will receive a higher lump sum of $800.

In total, civil servants will receive a 0.9-month bonus, or annual variable component (AVC), in 2023, while officers up to MX13(I) and equivalent will receive a total additional sum of up to $1,200 in 2023.

In June, civil servants received a 0.3-month mid-year bonus, and junior grade officers also received an additional one-time payment of up to $400.

The Government will continue to pay the non-pensionable annual allowance of a month, also known as the 13th-month bonus, to all civil servants, PSD said.

Civil servants in the Management Executive (MX) Scheme are categorised according to numerical job grades. The lower the number, the more senior they are. There are about 86,000 civil servants here, according to PSD’s website.

“This year-end payment takes into consideration that Singapore’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to come in at around 1 per cent in 2023, as well as the latest National Wages Council guidelines,” PSD added.

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The Ministry of Trade and Industry had earlier narrowed the GDP growth forecast of between 0.5 per cent and 1.5 per cent to around 1 per cent for 2023.

“The revised forecast takes into consideration the labour market outlook, subdued external demand for the rest of the year and continued downside risks arising from geopolitical tensions,” said PSD.

The announcement followed close consultation with public sector unions, it added.

National Trades Union Congress deputy secretary-general Cham Hui Fong said: “Despite challenging external socio-political and economic factors, the negotiations and decisions on the year-end AVC payout for civil servants between the public sector unions and PSD were concluded with much consideration and goodwill to recognise the efforts of our civil servants.

“The additional one-off lump sum payments for lower-grade officers in the civil service are much appreciated by the unions too. This is especially so when the payments, which would benefit these officers more, are in line with the recommendations of the National Wages Council guidelines for 2023 and 2024.”

Amalgamated Union of Public Employees (AUPE) general secretary Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari said: “We believe the year-end AVC of 0.6 month and lump sums, coupled with the Assurance Package, will help defray some of the rising cost of living for our public officers. AUPE will continue to work with the Government in monitoring the situation and ensuring that our public officers will be adequately recognised for their good work.”

In 2022, civil servants received a total of 1.45 months in full-year AVC.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.