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| Delighting
customers, connecting citizens |
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| DPM
Lee said that eGAP II will deliver
more one-stop, integrated services
to meet the needs of businesses
and the public. |
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Listen
to and learn from the public. Make public services
as convenient as possible for citizens and businesses.
Be more consultative, open and put the customer
first.
“Ultimately, eGAP II is not about IT, but about changing the approach to
Government,” said
Mr Lee Hsien Loong, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister for Finance, who
launched the S$1.3-billion e-Government Action Plan II (eGAP II).
The launch took place at the 15th PS21 Managing For Excellence (MFE) Forum on
e-Government held on 15 July 2003. Some 900 public and private participants attended
the event.
New three-year plan
eGAP II builds on the first eGAP launched in June 2000. eGAP II is based on a
simple yet powerful idea: Many Agencies, One Government.
With the new plan, agencies collaborate (Networked Government) to deliver accessible,
integrated and value-added e-services to our customers (Delighted Customers)
and help bring citizens closer together (Connected Citizens).
The Government will invest funds over the next three years to upgrade infrastructure,
develop capabilities and improve electronic public services.
The need for eGAP II
DPM Lee said the design of eGAP II is driven by two significant trends — economic
and social.
He explained that Singapore is entering a new phase of economic development.
The environment is becoming more uncertain and competitive. We have to be more
dynamic, entrepreneurial and self-reliant. The Government is playing its part
to create an entrepreneur-friendly environment by lowering taxes, reducing business
costs and reforming the education system.
“eGAP II will deliver more one-stop, integrated services to meet the needs
of
our public and businesses,” he said.
An example of integrated services is the Online Application System for Integrated
Services (OASIS), which enables a company to register a business or apply for
all required licences by visiting just one website. (For more information, see
this story.)
DPM Lee urged agencies to re-engineer their individual backend processes to provide
more customer-centric services. He said, “[Agencies] must strive to make
things as convenient as possible to the customers, rather than make things easy
for themselves.”
On the social front, DPM Lee said that Singaporeans increasingly want their views
on policies to be heard and that the Government needs to be more consultative
and open. He said, “To develop new policies and enact new laws, we must
seek the views and expertise of private sector experts and various stakeholders.… eGAP
II will develop the tools and help us connect citizens with each other and the
Government, and involve them in issues that they have expertise in, or issues
that affect them.”
One of the tools identified was the Public Service’s Consultation Portal.
Launched in April 2003, the portal is a one-stop destination for citizens to
give their views on policy proposals. (For more information, see
this story.)
We can achieve more together
At the event, Mr Lim Siong Guan, Head of Civil Service and Permanent Secretary
(Finance), urged agencies to promote the use of e-services in the community.
He also highlighted the important role of IT managers in all agencies and ministries,
and challenged them to come up with new ideas on how their agencies could move
forward in terms of IT and integration. |
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By
MOF & Government Chief Information Office, IDA
Next: Overview of eGAP II
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