Beginning early next year, the existing GoBusiness portal will be enhanced to become a one-stop shop for aspiring entrepreneurs and those who are already in the company to meet all of their government-related demands. Businesses can simply use their Singpass to log in and select their company’s UEN or business entity.
By early 2022, GoBusiness, a website that launched in 2019, will provide a customised and integrated dashboard with features that will allow customers to complete all the tasks required to start a business on one platform.
The new dashboard will give customers recommendations when they complete an online questionnaire, including step-by-step instructions on how to start a business and the licences they’ll need. Users will receive recommendations on what to do next after completing the registration procedure, such as applying for required licences and grants. They can apply for over 200 licences across a wide range of businesses without having to visit several portals.
According to a spokesman for the Government Technology Agency (GovTech), the dashboard enhances discoverability and cuts down on time spent looking for and using these services. “For example, users had to leave the GoBusiness platform to transact with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority separately to register a new business previously. This step is no longer needed when users sign in and use the dashboard’s business registration service.”
In addition to these services, GoBusiness will also provide e-Advisers that users can access without logging in.
- Users can get information on what business structure best suits their needs after answering a few simple questions.
- Prospective entrepreneurs can check the availability of business names and handles on social media channels and find out about the Singapore Standard Industrial Classification Code for their business activities.
- Users who want to use commercial spaces can get pointed to the right government agency to get approval by answering some simple questions.
- Event organisers can get help navigating the regulatory landscape, especially in these times of Covid. They will receive a curated set of licences and recommendations for safe management measures for their event.
According to a GovTech spokesman, the GoBusiness business grant portal was used by more than 60,000 unique businesses to apply for government assistance in 2020, and more than 2,800 food and beverage businesses have benefited from the portal’s simplified licencing process since it was launched in 2019. More applications and transactions are stated to be performed on GoBusiness itself by the GovTech team, resulting in a more frictionless search-apply-track experience.
In addition, earlier this year, the Minister of Communications, and Information S Iswaran introduced a new Digital Leaders Programme (DLP), which aims to provide businesses with the skills and talent they need to drive their digital transformation. The programme would cover up to 70% of qualifying costs to assist businesses in forming a core digital team to create and implement their digitalisation strategy. It will also connect businesses with technology partners to help them build new digital products and services and improve their international competitiveness.
The DLP will initially support up to 80 organisations, beginning with those that are farther along in their digital transformation efforts and have management teams dedicated to driving digital transformation for long-term growth. The IMDA, together with other authorities, will be in charge of it. The IMDA will also establish the Better Data-Driven Company (BDDB) programme, which will provide free tools and assistance to businesses, particularly SMEs, on how to responsibly use data to promote business success.
OpenGov Asia reported businesses and SMEs in Singapore can now tap on the latest Precision Engineering Industry Digital Plan (IDP) to enhance productivity and digital transformation. The Precision Engineering Industry Digital Plan provides a road map of accessible training programmes to assist these organisations’ employees in gaining necessary skills as they digitalise in stages.
These initiatives are likely to assist around 2,700 enterprises and 101,000 individuals in the industry, which supplies highly accurately designed and built machinery, parts, and components to manufacturing processes.
