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SINGAPORE: The government will call S$1.14 billion worth of new infocomm tenders in fiscal year 2008.
This will further increase infocomm adoption in the public sector to meet the growing expectations of businesses and citizens in an ever-changing infocomm landscape.
So in FY08, infocomm companies can look forward to more than 390 new infocomm tenders.
At the national level, the government will spend up to S$250 million to develop the ultra-high speed next-generation national broadband network which will allow users to go online at speeds that are 10 times faster.
There will also be government-wide projects such as enhancements to the Government Online portal that will make the website (www.gov.sg) a one-stop centre for government services.
Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) said it will gather feedback in the next 2-3 months on what Singaporeans want to see on the website and the types of lifestyle applications that can be included in the portal. The size of the contract has yet to be announced as IDA said it is still sizing up the scope of the work to be done.
At the agency level, there are projects for the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
More CCTVs will be installed in public areas such as Orchard Road and Shenton Way in a contract estimated at more than S$10 million.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said the enhanced CCTV cameras network will help deter crime and is part of its security measures ahead of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which will be held in Singapore in 2009. Leaders from some 21 economies are expected to attend the event, including those from Russia, US, Japan and China.
There will also be more automated clearance lanes for motorbikes at the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints, as part of the expanded Biometric Identification System.
The CEO of IDA, Rear Admiral (RADM) Ronnie Tay, said the government will continue to work with the industry to find new ways to use infocomm technology to improve the delivery of government services and strengthen the infocomm structure.
He was speaking at the Industry Briefing 2008: Business Opportunities for Infocomm in the Public Sector on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, market players are eyeing the 390 public sector contracts to be tendered out.
The projection of S$1.14 billion worth of ICT projects is one of the highest over the past four years. It is second only to 2007, when some S$2.12 billion worth of contracts were awarded, with the bulk going to the Standard ICT Operating Environment (SOEasy) project.
"Last year, you have the big SOE tender. (Excluding that), the budget is going to increase by 39 percent. That is very good news for the industry, especially since the economy is very uncertain right now," said Marcus Low, Group CEO & President of E-Cop Pte Ltd.
Local companies have benefited from the government's investment in infocomm as most of them were awarded a total of 64 per cent of infocomm contracts, while multi-national companies garnered 36 per cent. - CNA/vm/ls
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