Summary of key announcements at Committee of Supply 2023

24 FEB 2023

Summary of key announcements at Committee of Supply 2023

24 Feb 2023

The Smart Nation and Digital Government Group (SNDGG) has made significant progress in delivering digital solutions for citizens and businesses since 2014. In the next bound of Smart Nation, the Government will continue to use technology to solve real-life issues and build a Smart Nation with Singaporeans at the heart of our efforts.

At this year’s Committee of Supply Debate, Minister-in-charge of Smart Nation and Cybersecurity Josephine Teo will share (a) the progress we have made as a Smart Nation, (b) the current efforts to strengthen our digital transformation, and (c) the priorities for the next bound of Smart Nation.

Putting our people first and creating opportunities for businesses to flourish

In becoming a Smart Nation, we leverage technology to improve and transform the way we live, and the way business is conducted. There have been significant shifts in the last few years, as well as continued enhancements.

  • There are five million Singpass users today, and 4.2 million use the Singpass app. About 90 per cent of all Singpass transactions are conducted through the app.

  • More than 1,000 digital services offered by government agencies and businesses are onboard Myinfo, which helps pre-fill digital forms for online transactions. Currently, about 300,000 Myinfo transactions are performed every day.

  • In 2020, 144 million PayNow transactions were made. This has increased substantially in the past two years, with 311 million transactions in 2022.

  • GoBusiness is the single Government touchpoint for businesses in Singapore to access various government resources and services such as guides on starting a business, as well as licence and grant applications. The platform is continuously being enhanced to better support businesses. Recent additions include the Progressive Wage Mark accreditation application, the SkillsFuture for Enterprise information guide, and the e-Adviser for Skills Training guide to help employers navigate the process of upskilling their employees.

  • The Health Appointment System (HAS) was launched in August 2022 to make it easy for Singaporeans to book pneumococcal vaccination appointments in minutes. The system was expanded for people to book flu vaccination appointments in November 2022. From February 2023, HAS will also include Human Papillomavirus (HPV2) vaccinations for eligible female residents. Citizens can make vaccination appointments on HAS at more than 700 participating CHAS GP clinics.

  • AI Singapore was launched in 2017 to help businesses tap on Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions. To date, it has established partnerships with 80 businesses to co-develop AI models and solutions. These initiatives have generated close to $60 million in value.

  • We are on track to meet the target of moving 70 per cent of eligible government systems to cloud. To date, 64 per cent have been migrated to improve resiliency and reap the benefits of commercial cloud.

  • Overall, citizen satisfaction score for digital government services has risen from 73 per cent in 2016 to 84 per cent in 2022, while the business satisfaction score for digital government services has risen from 64 per cent to 79 per cent over the same period.

Safety Matters

The Government is committed to strengthening our digital defences and protecting the digital space so that Singaporeans can navigate it safely and confidently.

  • A new product from ScamShield, the ScamShield Bot, will be available on WhatsApp later this year. It allows the public to easily report scam messages and check whether a message is likely to be a scam.

  • GovTech has set up the Government Cyber Security Operations Centre (GCSOC) to strengthen the way we do threat detection, perform analytics, and improve our incident response. PhishMonSG, a phishing detection tool, was developed at GCSOC, in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs, to proactively hunt malicious sites posing as government agency websites.

To Go Far, Go Together

As we continue to advance in our digitalisation efforts, partnerships with citizens and businesses are key.

  • Together with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO) is launching an Innovation Challenge in Jurong Lake District to invite start-ups, private companies, and research institutes to submit solutions that address urban sustainability. The Innovation Challenge focuses on solutions to reduce carbon emissions, energy usage, waste, and resources. Winning entries will be developed into a prototype and piloted in Jurong Lake District.

  • The Smart Nation Ambassador Co-Creation Group brings together community representatives to provide feedback and refine our digital products and services. Since January 2022, we have worked with agencies such as the Ministry of Social and Family Development, Housing & Development Board and GovTech to engage various communities on initiatives such as improving the user experience of HDB’s digital platforms and enhancing the accessibility of the sentiments widget on GovTech’s website for persons with disabilities.

The task of building a Smart Nation is never complete. As we embark on the next bound, we strive to:

  • Create opportunities for our people and businesses to flourish;

  • Ensure that everyone can continue to transact safely and confidently in our digital spaces and;

  • Strengthen resilience and build stronger relationships in our community with the use of technology.

Annexes

For media enquiries, please contact:

Chia Suat Ning (Ms)
Manager, Adoption and Engagement Directorate
Smart Nation and Digital Government Office, Prime Minister’s Office
Tel: 8182 8052
Email: chia_suat_ning@pmo.gov.sg