Since 2014, the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group (SNDGG) has made tremendous strides in providing businesses and citizens with digital solutions. The government has continued to use technology to address current concerns and create a Smart Nation with Singaporeans at the centre of its initiatives in the following phase.
Minister-in-Charge of Smart Nation and Cybersecurity Josephine Teo shared the advancements they have made as a Smart Nation; the current initiatives to strengthen the country’s digital transformation; and the priorities for the next phase of Smart Nation during the recently held Committee of Supply Debate.
“Our aspiration is for all Singaporeans to seize the opportunities created through digital developments. To achieve this, we must build the foundational infrastructure to support our digital economy and society,” says Minister Josephine.
She acknowledged that for the country to be successful in the digital future, digital infrastructure needs to be thought out and worked on with the same level of dedication. Hence, the government is committed to bolstering digital defences and safeguarding the digital domain so that Singaporeans may navigate it with confidence and safety.
Later this year, the ScamShield Bot, a new product from ScamShield, will be accessible on WhatsApp. It enables the public to simply report scam messages and determine the likelihood that a message is a fraud. The National Crime Prevention Council and the Open Government Products (OGP) team collaborated to create ScamShield. They also collaborate with the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
In addition, GovTech has established the Government Cyber Security Operations Centre (GCSOC) to enhance its threat detection, analytics, and incident response capabilities. PhishMonSG, a phishing detection programme, was created by the GCSOC in partnership with the Ministry of Home Affairs to aggressively search fraudulent websites masquerading as government official sites.
Further, as the nation’s digitisation initiatives continue to grow, relationships with residents and businesses are crucial. Along with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO) is establishing an Innovation Challenge in Jurong Lake District to solicit urban sustainability ideas from start-ups, private corporations, and research institutes. The Innovation Challenge focuses on reducing carbon emissions, energy consumption, waste, and resources via innovative solutions. The winning submissions will be prototyped and tested in Jurong Lake Area.
The Smart Nation Ambassador Co-Creation Group, on the other hand, is comprised of community representatives who provide feedback and develop digital products and services. Since January 2022, they have collaborated with agencies such as the Ministry of Social and Family Development, Housing & Development Board, and GovTech to engage diverse communities in initiatives such as enhancing the user experience of HDB’s digital platforms and improving the accessibility of the sentiment widget on GovTech’s website for people with disabilities.
The Minister emphasised that developing a Smart Nation is an ongoing process. When the nation goes on its next frontier, they endeavour to a) Provide opportunities for our people and businesses to thrive; b) Guarantee that everyone can continue to trade safely and confidently in the digital spaces; and c) Improve the community’s resiliency and establish deeper relationships through technology.
She also mentioned the progress they have made as a Smart Nation. Some of these were in relation to Singpass app; the Health Appointment System (HAS); Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions; GoBusiness, a single government touchpoint for businesses in Singapore to access various government resources and services such as guides on starting a business, as well as license and grant applications; among others.
