Mr Leong Keng Thai, Acting CEO, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore - Remarks Launch of eGovernment Action Plan II, Raffles City Convention Centre ...
Mr Leong Keng Thai, Acting CEO, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore - Remarks
Launch of eGovernment Action Plan II, Raffles City Convention Centre
Singapore, 15 July 2003
From IDA's perspective, the $1.3billion investment in eGAPII provides business opportunities for the Infocomm industry in Singapore. Over the next 3 years, the Government will further develop capabilities and upgrade infrastructure to improve the delivery of public services electronically. What this means for the Infocomm industry here is that :
Firstly, Infocomm companies should accelerate capability development to provide innovative e-Government solutions and products. They can leverage on emerging technologies such as those identified for cluster growth in IDA's Infocomm blueprint, Connected Singapore. The five areas of cluster growth include mobile services, wireless and wired networks, multi-media processing, web services and security and trust infrastructure.
Secondly, Infocomm companies should also collaborate and actively engage in the pilots and trials of these technologies. The IDA often partners other government agencies to issue "Calls-for-Collaboration" encouraging public-private sector collaboration in developing end-to-end solutions. Examples include the Call for Collaboration (CFC) for Wireless Applications in Tourism announced in 2002 by Singapore Tourism Board, and the multi-agency CFC for Location-Based Services. The latter involved the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), Land Transport Authority (LTA), National Heritage Board (NHB), Singapore Land Authority (SLA) and Singapore Tourism Board.
Thirdly, infocomm companies should leverage eGAP II projects as a unique learning opportunity and future reference to tap the growing global e-Government market. Closer collaboration between private and public sectors is hence key to improving export potential of local Infocomm companies.
The global e-Government market provides lucrative business opportunities. Growth areas can be found in countries like Chile, Mexico, the Middle East, India and even parts of Eastern Europe.
Our Infocomm companies can tap into these opportunities and offer e-Government competencies in several key domains: trade, transport, healthcare, education, defense and judiciary. Some examples include CrimsonLogic who specializes in e-Government solutions that encompass electronic trade clearance systems, and electronic filing systems for legal and judiciary documents, while NovaCityNets and Stratech Systems, with solutions in Urban Planning and Transport systems respectively. SQLView is an expert provider in government electronic registry systems, while Singapore Computer Systems has expertise in healthcare and defense systems. NCS and Ecquaira developed the Public Service Infrastructure (PSi) for the public sector. All these companies have successfully exported to various overseas e-Government markets: Australia, Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong, China, Thailand and the Philippines.
Summary
In summary, as the Infocomm developer in Singapore and manager for the eGAPII, the IDA welcomes the participation of both local and foreign Infocomm companies to make e-Government a unique and successful experience in Singapore. IDA also believes that our e-Government experience can be shared with other foreign markets, thus increasing our export potential. This is a key component of our Connected Singapore vision, where we envisage that the Infocomm industry will be a key engine of growth for the Singapore economy.
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