Summary of key announcements at Committee of Supply 2022

02 MAR 2022

Summary of key announcements at Committee of Supply 2022 - Smart Nation

2 Mar 2022

This year marks the 5th year since the founding of the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group (SNDGG), comprising Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO) and Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech).

At this year’s Committee of Supply Debate, Minister-in-charge of Smart Nation and Cybersecurity Josephine Teo will share on (a) the progress we have made as a Smart Nation, (b) how the strong foundations laid have helped our fight against COVID-19, and (c) the need to remain inclusive, collaborative and adaptable as we continue to build our Smart Nation.

Using tech effectively to benefit citizens and businesses

Over the past 5 years, Smart Nation initiatives have resulted in greater convenience, accessibility and benefits to our citizens and businesses. This is reflected in our international rankings, and annual surveys conducted with our end-users:

  • Citizen satisfaction score for digital Government services has risen from 73% in 2016 to 85% in 2021, while business satisfaction score for digital Government services has risen from 64% to 76% over the same period

  • Singapore topped the IMD-SUTD Smart City Index for the 3rd year running in 2021

Citizens and businesses can look forward to more digital Government initiatives. These include upcoming enhancements in the Singpass app:

  • More digital identity cards; for example, the Digital Driving Licence (will be available from 7 March 2022) and Digital Practising Certificate for healthcare professionals (available since January 2022)

  • Singpass app is available in four official languages since February 2022

  • Business users will be able to access their companies’ profile and related information via the app by end-March 2022

One of our key focus areas is to continue building up capabilities to support Whole-of-Government initiatives, such as the development of GovWallet and GoWhere infrastructure.

  • GovWallet enables agencies to disburse Government monies and credits to citizens in a secure and convenient way. It can be incorporated into apps like LifeSG, or integrated with Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) to facilitate withdrawals of the monies. This is especially useful for the disbursement of Government payouts to those without bank accounts, as they will be able to withdraw cash from ATMs or use the credits at authorised merchants and service providers via the digital wallet. The CPF Board and Ministry of Defence are already using this feature, with more agencies and use cases expected to come onboard.

  • The GoWhere platform has helped Government agencies better inform the public on locations of service touch points, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been used to create 16 websites to date, most recently for the Test Centres Go Where site that informs residents on the nearest location to get an ART or PCR test.

  • Existing products are continually being refined to provide better, more personalised services and information to citizens. For example, Singpass and LifeSG are being tapped as additional means of disseminating Budget 2022 information, and highlight relevant schemes to users based on their profile.

Strong digital foundation bedrock of Singapore’s response to COVID-19

Both the private and public sector have leveraged digital technologies to support our whole-of-nation response to COVID-19:

  • Local start-up Beep worked with agencies like the Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Trade and Industry, People’s Association and GovTech to deploy vending machines that supported our nationwide distribution of masks, TraceTogether Tokens and ART kits

  • From the national vaccine appointment system, which took just 2 weeks to develop, to the clinic administration system that helped keep vaccination centres well-stocked, tech has helped Singapore achieve one of the highest vaccination rates in the world

Collaboration key in tackling challenges and seizing new opportunities

Promoting digital inclusion and enhancing cybersecurity remain priorities as we continue to push ahead in our digitalisation efforts. Our partnership with citizens and businesses will help us proactively identify areas for improvement, co-create solutions, and work towards a more inclusive digital nation.

  • A Citizen Co-Creation Group was launched in January 2022, gathering community leaders who represent diverse groups such as seniors and low-income families to provide feedback on the types of digital services that they would benefit from, and to co-create new solutions

SNDGG will continue to use technology to solve everyday, real-life challenges faced by people living here. Looking ahead, this would include looking at green tech for building management, sensors to enhance our way of life and building cross-border partnerships to extend the use of well-adopted infrastructure like Singpass and e-payments.

Our Smart Nation journey is only just beginning, as we strive to build a brighter, more inclusive and secure digital future for Singapore.

Annexes

COS 2022 Infographics: Building Our Smart Nation
  • Infographics: Trasnforming Lives
COS 2022 Infographics: Transforming Lives
  • Infographics: Helping Businesses
COS 2022 Infographics: Helping Businesses

For media enquiries, please contact:

(Mr) Kevin Kwang
Senior Manager,
Adoption and Engagement Directorate
Smart Nation and Digital Government Office,
Prime Minister’s Office
Tel: 9734 1230
Email: kevin_kwang@pmo.gov.sg

(Mr) Cristiano Peswani
Manager,
Adoption and Engagement Directorate
Smart Nation and Digital Government Office,
Prime Minister’s Office
Tel: 9674 5524
Email: cristiano_peswani@pmo.gov.sg