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SINGAPORE: The Government will strengthen coordination between its economic and social policies to ensure that Singaporeans can access jobs and opportunities in the post-COVID-19 economy, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said on Friday (August 28).
This is part of their efforts to more closely align different public policy areas to address the complex challenges and new opportunities emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vulnerable workers will receive additional support and social mobility will continue to be a feature of Singaporean society, he said.
To better understand citizens’ concerns and develop “more citizen-centric” policies, the government is developing new capabilities in data analysis and citizen engagement, Heng added in an appendix to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Strategy Group. ) to the president’s speech. at the inauguration of the 14th Parliament on Monday.
READ: Opening of the 14th Parliament: President Halimah outlines the government’s priorities in the fight against the COVID-19 crisis
The PMO Strategy Group organizes the public service to develop and implement the Government’s key policy priorities in a coherent and coordinated manner, per the appendix.
“A comprehensive review of the government’s medium-term policy agenda is needed, to address new challenges but also seize new opportunities, so that Singapore can handle this crisis well and continue to prosper in a post-COVID-19 world,” said Mr. Heng in the appendix.
READ: Timing of GST increase and other moves to shore up revenue position will be ‘carefully’ monitored: Heng Swee Keat
He also said Singapore will continue to take a “calibrated approach” to immigration and maintain a careful balance in its flows of foreign workers.
“We welcome those who can contribute to our society and want to make Singapore their home, while ensuring that our policies allow Singaporeans to benefit from better jobs and opportunities,” he said.
Competition from foreign workers was a contentious issue raised during the July general election, and President Halimah Yacob said on Monday that a “sense of competition” for the jobs of job pass holders was a potentially divisive issue for Singapore. .
On Thursday, the Ministry of Labor announced that the minimum qualifying wage for Employment Passes and S Passes would be raised starting next month.
READ: The qualifying minimum wage will increase by S $ 600 for Employment Passes and S $ 100 for S Passes, higher requirement for financial services
Continuing a theme that has come up in the additions of various ministries during the week, Mr. Heng said that a post-COVID-19 “new normal” will also present new opportunities to advance Singapore’s sustainability agenda.
“We will catalyze and create new green growth areas for Singapore and create new jobs for Singaporeans. We will build resilience to future crises and supply crises, for example by improving our food security, in a resource efficient way, ”he said, adding that Singapore will also aim to reduce emissions from transport.
THE PUBLIC SERVICE TO ORGANIZE IN A DIFFERENT WAY
Public service will be organized differently and cross-agency teams will become more common, Commerce and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said in a separate appendix issued by the PMO’s Public Services Division (PSD) and the Bureau. of Science and Technology Plans and Policies.
“We are building stronger common competencies in our public service that are necessary for all agencies … In addition, we will focus more on solving problems beyond agency boundaries,” said Chan, who is also Minister in charge of the Service. Public. .
An example is the Public Sector Office of Science and Technology Plans and Policies, which coordinates the planning of science and technology capacities, adds demand for greater efficiency, and trains science and technology experts.
READ: More than 50,000 ‘new and improved’ jobs to be created in the next 10 years amid the drive for sustainable development: Grace Fu
Chan promised that the public service will also recruit and develop its people differently.
“We will recruit candidates from diverse backgrounds so that we have a public service workforce that can bring different perspectives to problems and bring different skills to create new solutions to problems,” he said.
“As our environment changes very rapidly, we will invest more in skill enhancement to allow our officers to remain employable for a longer career.”
Civil servants will rotate to different jobs, so they get a broader perspective and have more opportunities to work with partners in the people and the private sector, he said.
“This will keep them close to the ground and give them a diverse body of networks, skills, and experiences to solve problems effectively.”
FASTER SCANNING
Government agencies advanced their timeline to digitize in light of COVID-19, said Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and the minister in charge of the Smart Nation Initiative.
The Digital Government Plan had committed to making all government services digital from start to finish by 2023.
WATCH: Singapore’s New Plan for Digital Transformation | Video
“We will use technology to make Singapore a smart city and improve the quality of life,” it said in the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group addendum under the PMO.
For example, the Housing and Development Board’s Smart Hub integrates data to improve property management and facilitate better urban planning, he added.
READ: MCCY will establish a ‘digital body’ that will deploy young people to help the community and social sectors to digitize
Dr. Balakrishnan said that the Government will facilitate and streamline businesses’ digital transactions with the Government by expanding the GoBusiness platform to include more personalized services and recommendations.
With the COVID-19 crisis, the platform was enhanced to help businesses stay up-to-date with COVID-19-related regulations and apply for waivers. GoBusiness had also launched an e-Adviser to help companies better identify relevant government support based on their needs.
The government’s digitization efforts will help build capacities within the local Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector, he said.
The value of government ICT contracts is projected to increase by more than 30 percent this financial year to S $ 3.5 billion. Small and medium-sized businesses will be able to participate in up to 80% of recruitment opportunities.
