MDDI's response to PQ on Considerations for New Ministry Name

Parliament Sitting on 6 August 2024

QUESTION FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

*31. Mr Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) what are the key considerations that have led to the renaming of the Ministry to Ministry of Digital Development and Information; (b) in what ways will the renaming of the Ministry give urgency to the national effort towards digital development; and (c) whether the Ministry will engage with chambers of commerce and trade associations on how they can contribute towards achieving the objectives behind the Ministry’s name change.

Answer:

The renaming of the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) to the Ministry of Digital Development and Information, or ‘M-D-D-I’ in short, reflects the growing digital development agenda across the Whole-of-Government.

Digitalisation has become an increasingly important part of our daily lives: from how we communicate and access information, to how businesses operate, and how the Government delivers services. Advancements in technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI), are also driving unprecedented change. They present opportunities for growth and innovation, as well as significant risks that we must address.

Over the years, the Ministry and other agencies across the Government have been deepening our work in the digital domain to address emerging issues and meet growing demands. For example, we have teams negotiating digital economy agreements, shoring up AI governance, and improving our digital infrastructure, such as through upgrades to our Nationwide Broadband Network. We regularly update our laws and regulatory approaches to address new risks and threats in the digital domain. We are growing the range of digital government services and have achieved high adoption rates for our national digital identity system. We are continually working to strengthen digital inclusion for vulnerable groups. Other agencies have also been harnessing digital technologies to improve citizens’ everyday lives, such as implementing seamless, automated immigration clearance at our airport and enabling the convenient booking of health appointments.

Last October, we merged the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group and the MCI’s digital development functions to better position the Government to advance Singapore’s digital agenda. The Ministry’s name change is thus a natural progression from our expanded work scope and reflects the role we already play, leading a range of digital developments across the economic, social and government domains.

Collaboration with Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs) has been and will continue to be important to the Ministry’s mission to create a thriving digital future for all. TACs are valued partners in engaging businesses and contribute much to the shaping of digital economy strategies and initiatives. We work closely with TACs such as the Singapore Business Federation, Singapore Computer Society, and SGTech in upskilling our workforce and in strengthening enterprise digitalisation. In fact, they are amongst the network of partners that pledged their commitment to the recently launched Digital Enterprise Blueprint, which aims to establish Singapore as a nation of empowered enterprises and workers.