Smart Nation drive on track with development of national digital identity, e-payment platforms

SINGAPORE — From next year, SingPass users will be able to access a wider variety of services online — including registration for the National Service Portal and the Do-Not-Call Registry — via the national personal data vault MyInfo.

Launched by the Government Technology Agency (GovTech) and the Ministry of Finance in May 2016, MyInfo pulls data such as one’s date of birth, passport number and annual income to allow users to auto-fill application forms for various services.

First rolled out for users of selected e-government services, such as applications for new flats, MyInfo has been expanded to cover some 70 government e-services and 30 digital banking services.

By the end of 2018, besides being able to use MyInfo to apply for identity cards, goods and services tax vouchers, and other social assistance schemes, it will be rolled out to 160 government e-services and more private sector services.

Sharing the expansion during the debate over the Prime Minister’s Office’s budget on Thursday (March 1), Minister-in-Charge of the Republic’s Smart Nation initiative Vivian Balakrishnan said Singapore has made “good progress” in national projects underscoring the initiative.

On Thursday, several Members of Parliament (MP), including Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency (GRC) MP Teo Ser Luck, East Coast GRC MP Jessica Tan and Chua Chu Kang GRC MP Zaqy Mohamad, had sought clarity on how the Smart Nation initiative has benefitted Singaporeans and businesses.

The use of MyInfo has helped reduce application time by up to 80 per cent, said Mr Balakrishnan. Banks have reported up to 15 per cent higher approval rate due to “better data quality”, the PMO added.

A SingPass mobile application will also be launched by the second half of the year, which enables two-factor authentication via six-digit pin or fingerprint. With the app, users no longer need to key in their passwords every time they log in to a digital service. Users based overseas can also then authenticate themselves for government e-services using their smartphones and without a physical token.

The expansion of MyInfo and SingPass app are the next steps towards forming a national digital identity for every resident. The authorities also hope to drive the use of digital signatures to facilitate paperless transactions by 2020.

To drive further adoption of e-payment platforms, Central Provident Fund members who turn 55 will be able to withdrawal lump sums of their savings via PayNow, a Government-backed service that allows customers of seven participating banks here to send and receive funds using their mobile number or NRIC/FIN.

When asked if the Government would consider disbursing the SG Bonus — a payout of up to S$300 for each adult Singaporean, announced during the Budget statement last month — via PayNow, a Finance Ministry spokesman said it is studying options for disbursement and more details will be shared later.

A corporate version of the service, dubbed PayNow Corporate, will also be launched this year to facilitate fund transfers between businesses. Consumers will also be able to use PayNow Corporate to pay merchants for their purchases.

Noting that the Government is not encouraging “going cashless for its own sake”, Mr Balakrishnan said: “(And) certainly not for tax collection. The ultimate objectives are to lower transaction costs for both businesses and citizens, and expand opportunities especially for small businesses, freelancers and entrepreneurs.”

A new mobile platform will also be piloted in June for parents to access various services for their newborns and children below the age of six, such as registering births, applying for baby bonuses, or accessing their child’s medical appointments and immunisation records.

This is part of the Moments of Life initiative which seeks to leverage technology to integrate services and information that citizens need on a single platform.

In its pilot phase, the app will feature services under the purview of the Social and Family Development Ministry, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority, the Early Childhood Development Agency, and the Health Promotion Board.

The suite of services and information available will be expanded based on feedback from the pilot phase.

To expand the pool of talent to drive the Republic’s Smart Nation and digitalisation efforts, Minister in-charge of GovTech Janil Puthucheary announced the introduction of a Smart Nation Scholarship for students keen to pursue infocomm-related degrees at local or foreign universities. Applications will open at the end of this year for school terms commencing in academic year 2019.

Mid-term scholarships can also be awarded to students in the middle of their undergraduate degree programmes.

Awardees will be deployed to GovTech, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, or the Info-communications Media Development Authority upon graduation.