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SINGAPORE: Big changes are coming to the Immigration and Control Points Authority (ICA), with plans to stop using physical documents, more online services and a new building.
Speaking to journalists in an interview on December 22 (Tuesday), ICA Deputy Commissioner for Policy and Transformation (DC), Cora Chen, emphasized the need for the authority to continue adding value in its tailored public offerings. that evolves.
“ICA must remain relevant: our operational terrain, members of the public change, you have to transform along with it to continue adding value to the public,” explained DC Chen, who oversees several projects in which ICA aims to transform its systems current and adopt a new operating model.
Since the ICA is targeting “digital transformation,” one of its goals is to provide 100% online services by the end of next year, DC Chen said.
“There is something that is holding us back. That is the issue of physical documents, “he added. “What it means is that no matter how hard you push, the person still needs to go to a physical location to pick up the physical document.”
As such, there are also plans to progressively reduce the issuance of physical documents, he added.
“We will aggressively release digital documents starting next year and the following year, and the only documents that we are likely to retain in physical form are just passports and CIs (identity cards). So with that, what it means for the collection, after approval, the person doesn’t need to come to the ICA (building), ”explained DC Chen.
DC Chen also noted that Singaporeans can expect to see a number of upcoming initiatives implemented in the coming months.
DC Chen is overseeing the construction of ICA’s new Integrated Services Center, scheduled for completion in 2023. (Photo: Matthew Mohan)
Ongoing initiatives include services that will allow residents to report the loss of their integrated circuits, as well as report damaged passports online.
Furthermore, there are also plans for a secure digital repository where residents can access documents issued by ICA. The documents that will be the first to be stored will be birth and death certificates, as well as long-term passes.
To ensure the security of stored information, DC Chen said the ICA has “strict user access controls.”
“We regularly audit user access and issue notices to remind officials against misuse of IT systems. Wandering agents who are caught misusing data will be treated in accordance with the law, “he said.
“All personal data collected and stored by ICA is protected by the government’s data security framework, which includes encryption of confidential data and monitoring of data transmissions.”
“As we move on the journey of transformation, it becomes increasingly difficult to bring great value to members of the public. Then you will see that ICA works more closely with other parts of government to transform the way services are delivered. So members of the public can only win, ”he added.
Another project that DC Chen is overseeing is the construction of ICA’s new Integrated Services Center, scheduled for completion in 2023.
READ: Faster passport, NRIC pickup at new ICA 24/7 service center
The new 10-story building will be constructed in an open-air parking lot next to ICA’s existing facilities along Kallang Road, which will be updated when the new building is ready. Once the Integrated Services Center is completed, the current ICA building will not be accessible to the public, DC Chen said.
In the Integrated Services Center, visitors will be served at a single counter even if they require access to different ICA services. On a dedicated floor, self-service kiosks will allow visitors to collect documents without making an appointment.
A new system, iSMART, will store documents securely and send them to kiosks using robotics.
The move will allow the ICA to combine services relevant to the public under one roof, DC Chen noted.
“Over the past 20 years, little by little, we have helped push the public to look forward to the concept of transacting with ICA. So now we believe that it is time to take another step, “he added.
At the same time, DC Chen noted that an increase in marriages between a foreign spouse and a Singaporean, as well as more cases of people remarrying, means that the needs for immigration services have become more “complex.”
The new ICA Integrated Service Center will be built in an open-air car park next to the existing ICA facilities along Kallang Road. (Photo: Matthew Mohan)
“Since the social profile is changing … we are reorganizing. For this reason, we want to offer a comprehensive service to the entire home, so if your home comes to us in the future, we want to serve you … and advise you which services you should request and which you can request. . “
The general change in the way the ICA operates will also mean new roles for its officers, DC Chen said. On the one hand, there will be a team of officers in the new building who will function as roving service ambassadors to assist visitors, should the need arise.
“With the concept of an integrated service center, it means that our officers need to learn the full suite of services provided by ICA,” added DC Chen. “Having a different understanding of the full suite of ICA services, they are now very deployable.
And since there will be less need to enter back-end data, as well as personnel handling physical documents, ICA’s strategy will therefore be to retrain officers in these functions.
“A BLESSING IN DISGUISE”
The COVID-19 pandemic has also shown that the ICA’s “transformation journey” has been the right decision, DC Chen said.
“COVID-19 has been a challenge. In retrospect, I know it sounds strange, but it was also a blessing in disguise, “he explained. “It forced us to adapt and move much faster. So we were much more aggressive in developing our transformation plans. And it also helped our members of the public adapt to digital transformation. “
During the “breaker” period, ICA had encouraged foreign visitors who needed to extend their stay in Singapore to submit their applications online, as over-the-counter services in the ICA building were restricted. Roughly 80 percent of requests for extensions were submitted online from January to November 2020, compared to about 60 percent during the same period in 2019.
“It also helped members of the public to relearn, to rethink how they would like to transact with ICA,” added DC Chen.
Given the changing nature of the pandemic, Singapore has had to repeatedly adjust and modify its border control measures to protect its population. This means that ICA officials have to be constantly vigilant, DC Chen said.
“It is inevitable because the COVID-19 situation changes globally very quickly,” he explained. “Therefore, officers must constantly learn and unlearn policies.”
READ: COVID-19: All travelers entering Singapore on or after March 27 must submit health declaration forms online
But what has helped are initiatives that had previously been implemented and can now be adapted for use in today’s climate, DC Chen noted. On the one hand, SG Arrival Cards (SGACs) have been adapted to allow travelers to complete them online and also to include a new online health declaration feature, he said.
“When we sign up for this job, we are in the service of the nation, and the COVID-19 period is the time when we must do our best to help the nation move forward,” added DC Chen.
