The pay for members of the upper management of Saskatchewan’s Crown corporations fell by nearly 18 per cent over the past year.

According to the Crown Investments Corporation’s 2018-19 Payee Disclosure Report, the compensation for the Crown corporations’ executives and senior management dropped by $4.4 million from the previous year. Salaries at the top have fallen by 10 per cent since 2014.

The number of executive and senior management positions dropped from 86 to 75 for the same period in 2017-18.

The report, which was presented to the Standing Committee on Crown and Central Agencies, lists the salaries of every employee in the Crown sector who receives more than $50,000 annually.

SaskPower CEO Mike Marsh’s salary last year was $565,291, while SaskTel CEO Doug Burnett was paid $538,307.

Blair Swystun, the head of the Crown Investments Corporation, had a salary of $498,963. SGI CEO Andrew Cartmell received $493,168 and SaskEnergy CEO Ken From was paid $441,364.

According to the report, people who work for the Crowns in Saskatchewan received just over $1 billion in compensation last year. Executives and senior management got two per cent of that total.

“By reducing executive and senior management compensation in Saskatchewan Crown Corporations by nearly 18 per cent, our government is working to ensure taxpayer dollars are going to the services that Saskatchewan people deserve,” Joe Hargrave, the minister of Crown Investments, said in a media release.

“Saskatchewan’s Crown sector supports the province’s overall economy by employing 11,200 Saskatchewan people with economic spinoffs that benefit Saskatchewan businesses, municipalities and community groups.”

The release noted Crowns provided communities with approximately $9.9 million in support last year through grants, contributions, donations and sponsorships.

“Municipalities received $20 million from the sector through grants-in-lieu of property taxes,” the release added. “There was also $6 billion in payments to suppliers and others primarily for products and services.”