5-year e-Government master plan launched
An electronic mailbox for every citizen, a one-stop data portal and a government service mobile app site--these are among a slew of initiatives unveiled by the Singapore government on Monday.
Over the coming half-decade, these measures, part of the new e-Government master plan, are aimed at riding the digital revolution to better engage citizens, said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean.
Speaking at the launch of the week-long Infocomm Media Business Exchange (imbX) 2011 held at Marina Bay Sands, Mr Teo said that the masterplan will make it easier for the government and Singaporeans to exchange ideas and information, as well as improve methods of data delivery.
In addition, government information will be more easily accessible to promote tie-ups with mobile phone app developers, so that more mobile phone applications can be made.
The new initiatives under what is called the eGov2015 plan include:
data.gov.sg: a one-stop Web portal for a vast range of free and chargeable government data, from land title deeds and property prices to the locations of hawker and childcare centres, with maps included. Content will be combined from 50 government agencies.
OneInbox: a secure email inbox that will be issued to every Singapore citizen, accessible by SingPass ID on the eCitizen website, to be introduced in the second half of 2012. This will combine the delivery of government-related mail, a key move toward paperless billing.
mGov@SG: a portal that combines some 40 available apps created by government agencies
Reach: the government's citizen feedback channel will be enhanced to include news and updates on their outreach efforts, and may employ social media and mobile apps to invite citizen participation in polls and online discussions.
SingPass for businesses: a separate authentication system for business users who engage in government transactions, similar to systems used in Australia and Denmark.
The imbX features two shows: CommunicAsia and its sister show EnterpriseIT, which focuses on telecommunication technologies, and BroadcastAsia, which features media and broadcast technology.
Mr Teo did not say what the budget for the new plan is, although the previous plan--which included more than 300 mobile services, mostly in the form of SMS alerts-- had set the government back by $2 billion.
Data.gov.sg welcomed, but there are kinks, say app developers
Mobile phone app developers have since welcomed the news of the latest initiatives, particularly the all-in-one data portal, as this means that they will not have to visit separate websites to access information for the design of various smartphone apps, reported The Straits Times.
The information can now be conveniently downloaded in raw data format from that single source, which makes it recognisable by many other computer programmes without the need for specialised decoding to extract values.
Phone payment software company Stream Media founder Chua Zi Yong, 26, said, "Developers don't need to jump through all these hoops now."
Others said that there are kinks that should be sorted out first.
Co-founder of smartphone app firm Buuuk Muh Hon Cheng, 30, said that the data catalogue currently only provides links to government agency websites.
"It is not that useful at the moment," he said, adding that some pages do not provide data for download, while others point to PDF or Excel files, which are not in raw data format.
Founder of technology start-up ShowNearby Douglas Gan, 27, added that data on missing persons and crimes undergoing investigation has not been made available from the Singapore Police Force yet.
"It will be good to have these," he said.
