Singapore will spend over $1 billion this year on technology to improve services in the public sector.
A large chunk of the $1.14 billion budget, or $250 million, will go to the ultra-fast national broadband network, which will allow Internet connection speeds of up to 10 times faster than what is available now.
Also on the cards: work to revamp the www.gov.sg website, allowing Singaporeans a more seamless way of dealing with government agencies.
The new portal will not only serve as a one-stop gateway to all e-government activities -- from tax filing to the booking of tennis courts -- but it will also be personalised to suit the lifestyles of every citizen.
For instance, the portal will store all of someone's government transactions, such as Central Provident Fund statements and annual tax returns. When that person makes an e-query, his request will be automatically routed to the relevant agency.
There will be no need to remember the names or Web addresses of the agencies one is dealing with.
On paper, this year's budget is much smaller than last year's $2.12 billion.
The big-ticket item last year was the $1.3 billion deal to put standard computer systems on the desks of about 60,000 public-sector workers here, which was recently awarded to a consortium led by global technology services firm EDS.
But if this one-off item is excluded, spending this year will actually be $300 million more than last year.
Besides improving services, the large investment reflects the continuing push to encourage Singaporeans to take to technology, said Rear-Admiral (NS) Ronnie Tay, chief executive officer of the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA).
In the agency's annual briefing to businesses yesterday, RADM Tay said more than 390 tenders will be put up this year.
Among the bigger ones -- apart from the spending that will go into the new broadband network -- will be a $100 million tender for the building of a second government data centre.
The current data centre hosts the computer applications used by civil servants and citizens. Having another one is important, as it serves as a backup in the event of a disaster. Also, the first data centre is reaching full capacity.
Other key public-sector projects include the upgrading of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore's tax administration and the Singapore Civil Defence Force's command systems
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Irene Tham
Quelle/Source: Asia Pacific Media Network, 15.05.2008
