On Tuesday (May 28), the Government Technology Agency (GovTech) announced the SG-Verify updates which will roll out by December 2019.
This is a part of the Government’s efforts to develop the national digital identity (NDI) system where residents can use to access services across both government and private sectors.
One of the updates include allowing Singapore residents to use their SingPass Mobile app to scan a QR code to register themselves at hospitals when visiting or fill up forms at roadshows, for example.
This tool can also be applied to businesses, helping them save time while performing secure identity verification and data transfer through QR codes.
The Moments of Life app, described as a digital platform for services and information targeted at parents and caregivers of young children, will also receive an update that caters to seniors by December.
Last June, the SG-Verify service was introduced so parents can skip the time-consuming and repetitive process of going to different government agencies when applying for the Baby Bonus scheme, or searching for nearby preschools, or registering their children’s births.
A director at GovTech, Mr Kwok Quek Sin explained that banks and financial services companies, and charity organisations can potentially benefit from the new updates.
One of the examples Mr Kwok raised is the traditional method of having charity organisation employees go out to get donations from the public.
Prospective donors tend to avoid them because after hearing about the cause, they still have to fill up forms, which can be time-consuming.
But with the SG-Verify service, donors can easily scan the QR code using the SingPass Mobile app to share the necessary details with these organisations.
We think that this may also prevent similar cases of identity theft happening, such as this:
The NDI and Moments of Life app are two out of the five platforms the Government will develop to achieve the results stated in the Digital Government Blueprint.
The Lamppost-as-a-Platform trial will begin some time between October and December in Geylang and the one-north business park under the Smart Nation Sensor Platform (SNSP).
Smart street lamps will be installed and will gather environmental information using sensors to monitor air quality and noise, cameras to detect and count personal mobility devices in public spaces.
With these data, the lamppost can give feedback to government agencies and allow them to respond quickly to potential problems such as unruly crowds, train breakdowns, and traffic congestion.
At the Committee of Supply debate on the Ministry of Finance’s (MOF) budget in February this year, the Government announced that the upper limit for quotations will be raised from S$70,000 to S$90,000 this year.
GovTech shared that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will be able to participate in over 80% of its total info-communications and technology (ICT) tenders.
It worked with the Finance Ministry to streamline and introduce new procurement methods for ICT contracts, and is implementing a new partnership model so SMEs can co-develop projects with Government agencies on the Singapore Government Technology Stack.
Companies can also get more opportunities to join the panel of suppliers when the “dynamic contracting” initiative is enabled.
This will allow new suppliers and requirements to be introduced throughout the contract period in bulk tenders.
Mr Kok Ping Soon, chief executive at GovTech said, “We are heartened that there is a growing pool of SMEs that have stepped up and embraced technology, and we will continue to work with them to uplift their capabilities while helping us build a Smart Nation and Digital Government.”
For more information on SingPass Mobile, visit their website here. Download the SingPass Mobile app for the iOS here, and Android here.
Featured Image Credit: Vulcan Post
