Prime Minister Office (PMO) has announced that it will form the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO) to enable the Government to be more integrated and responsive in the strategy and processes for Smart Nation and Digital Government (SNDG).
According to PMO, since the Smart Nation initiative was launched in late 2014, progress has been made in applying digital and smart solutions to provide better services for citizens and businesses, adding that companies have also responded with innovative products.
PMO said that the SNDGO will take effect from 1 May 2017 and it will be formed under the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) comprising staff from the Digital Government Directorate of the Ministry of Finance (MOF), the Government Technology Policy department in the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI), and the Smart Nation Programme Office (SNPO) in the PMO.
The Office also stated that the Government Technology Agency (GovTech), a statutory board under MCI, will be placed under the PMO as the implementing agency of SNDGO.
Collectively, it noted that the SNDGO and GovTech will form the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group (SNDGG) in the Prime Minister’s Office.
PMO noted that the SNDGG shall be responsible for the following:
- Apply digital and smart technologies to improve citizens’ lives in key domains, in partnership with other government agencies, industry, and the public.
- Develop the digital enablers and platforms for Smart Nation, to grow economic value and catalyse innovation by companies and citizens.
- Drive digital transformation for the public service, to strengthen Government ICT infrastructure and improve public service delivery.
PMO said that the SNDGG will be overseen by a Ministerial Committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Teo Chee Hean.
While, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Communications and Information will be Deputy Chairman and Minister-in-charge of Cybersecurity and the Info-communications Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA).
The other members of the Ministerial Committee are Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister-in-charge of the Smart Nation Initiative; Minister Ong Ye Kung, who has been appointed to champion Public Service innovation; and Minister of State Dr Janil Puthucheary, who will be the Minister-in-charge of GovTech and who will also coordinate GovTech’s strategy with IMDA’s industry development efforts.
Mr Ng Chee Khern, currently Permanent Secretary (PS) (Defence Development) of the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), will concurrently lead the SNDG Group as the PS (Smart Nation and Digital Government).
Mr Ng will also retain his appointment as the Chairman of the GovTech Board.
