The Singapore Civil Service are the set of civil servants working for the Government of Singapore. Together with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), statutory boards and other independent government bodies, the civil service makes up the overall public service of Singapore. As of 2022, the group employs about 87,000 officers. Thomas Friedman of The New York Times considers the Singapore Civil Service to be one of the most efficient and uncorrupt bureaucracies in the world, with a high standard of discipline and accountability. It is also considered a key contributor to the success of Singapore since independence. Other commentators have argued that the persisting dominance of the People's Action Party (PAP) on civil office has led to complacency and groupthink, with the supporting ministries being resistant to alternative views and fundamentally unprepared for a change of government. Overview The Civil Service was inherited from the British system. Since Singapore's independence in 1965, the Civil Service has been closely tied with the governing People's Action Party (PAP). One of the ways by which the service recruits Singaporeans is through the competitive Public Service Commission (PSC) Scholarship. These full-ride scholarships are awarded to prospective undergraduate and post-graduate students based on their academic performance and extra-curricular activities; they are not need-based scholarships. Upon graduation, PSC Scholars are mandated to work in the Civil Service for a number of years on a bond, usually ranging from 4 to 6 years. Scholars must repay the bond if they choose to resign from the Civil Service before the completion of their mandated service. Many scholars who have remained in government have gone on to hold senior positions. Many Singaporean ministers are also drawn from the Civil Service, particularly from government scholars. The highest-ranking civil servant within a ministry is known as the permanent secretary. Permanent secretaries in each ministry used to be permanent in their postings. The current practice is to rotate them in various ministries every few years. Head of the Civil Service The highest-ranking civil servant is the head of Civil Service. The current head of Civil Service is Leo Yip, who took office in September 2017. He also holds the positions of Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office (Strategy Group) and National Security and Intelligence Coordination. Salaries The salaries of high-ranking civil servants in Singapore are some of the highest in the world, and are pegged to the salaries of the top-earning