More support for parenthood aspirations and protection against scams: Ministries

SINGAPORE - More will be done to support the marriage and parenthood aspirations of Singaporeans, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Friday.

Mr Wong, who is also Minister-in-charge of the Strategy Group in the Prime Minister’s Office, noted in an addendum to the President’s Address that Budget 2023 had already included

a package of pro-family measures. 

But the Strategy Group will continue to review and update policies, including ways to extend more help to parents who are caring for their infants, and to those seeking to better manage their work and family commitments, he said.

Noting that Singapore faces various challenges such as

a declining total fertility rate

and an ageing population, Mr Wong said the Government will update its population strategies to tackle them.

It will do more to harness longevity as a strength, carefully manage foreign worker and immigration flows, and strengthen efforts to build a society where families matter and are well supported.

He said the Strategy Group will also be working with government agencies to review strategies and develop new policy responses to ensure Singaporeans have opportunities to progress throughout life.

Beyond

Forward Singapore

–

the nationwide engagement exercise to refresh the social compact

– the Strategy Group will continue to strengthen whole-of-government planning and execution to effectively tackle increasingly complex challenges such as a fragmented global order, said Mr Wong.

On climate change, Mr Wong noted plans to increase the carbon tax to

between $50 and $80 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030,

as well as to diversify Singapore’s energy mix with greener alternatives such as hydrogen and regional renewable energy.

He said the Government will work with the industry and other stakeholders to research, develop and deploy low-carbon climate tech and build a pipeline of high-quality carbon credit projects.

“At the same time, we must be prepared for the worst. The Strategy Group is concurrently working with government agencies to prepare Singapore for the effects of global warming, such as rising sea levels and temperatures, and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events,” he said.

Protect against scams, more convenience online

A new initiative named CheckWho will be rolled out by the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group (SNDGG) in end-2023 to help the public verify the legitimacy of calls from public officers.

This is among the moves made to help people feel safe and protected against scams, said Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo.

Mrs Teo, who is also Minister-in-charge of Smart Nation and Cybersecurity, said SNDGG will also ensure that transactions on government platforms are secure and resilient with tools to better detect phishing sites posing as government agency websites, and fraud analytics solutions for Singpass.

It will also support the National Crime Prevention Council and Singapore Police Force to foster a culture of vigilance and contribution to scam prevention through

applications such as ScamShield,

she said.

SNDGG, which is under the Prime Minister’s Office, will also be continuing its efforts to ensure digital inclusion. It will support efforts by the Ministry of Communications and Information to promote digital skills and literacy among Singaporeans, among other initiatives, said Mrs Teo.

The group will also be working to seize technology-enabled opportunities for businesses, people and government agencies.

For example, it will enhance the one-stop GoBusiness platform, together with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, to better support firms’ day-to-day transactions and longer-time investments.

It will also improve the convenience of digital services and transactions through applications such as Singpass and LifeSG, said Mrs Teo.

SNDGG will also be refreshing the Digital Government Blueprint in end-2023 and work closely with ServiceSG to redesign whole-of-government service delivery, she said.

This includes promoting the use of common digital platforms across the Government and building up the Government’s data sharing and data usage architecture.

Improving the public service

Separately, Minister-in-charge of the Public Service Chan Chun Sing said on Friday that the public service is focused on helping its officers build new skills and gain experiences throughout their careers.

In an addendum to the President’s Address, Mr Chan said that this would be done through training and development opportunities such as structured job rotations, attachments to the private sector, cross-agency projects and short-term immersions with other government agencies, to ensure skills diversity and more career mobility.

He also said there would be a shift in the human resource system to be anchored on competencies and skills, with more emphasis placed on competency development and using competencies to guide how the division recruits, rewards and recognises its officers.

Separately, the division is also streamlining and redesigning regulatory processes to make it easier for businesses, said Mr Chan. For example, first-time business owners can now register their business through a step-by-step guided journey on the GoBusiness platform.

Mr Chan also said that the public service would continue investing in developing its pipeline of leaders and diversifying its selection and sourcing process for scholarship holders and direct recruits.

It is also transforming its leadership development approaches, such as by introducing leadership competencies, 360-degree feedback exercises, job rotations and a stronger mentoring culture.