'G' mail: One inbox for all govt e-mail

Jun 15, 2010

'G' mail: One inbox for all govt e-mail

Residents can opt for online service, while those without Internet access won't be left out

By Zakir Hussain & Andrea Ong

SINGAPORE residents will each get a personal online mailbox in two years' time to receive their mail from the Government and public agencies. Mail such as tax statements, reminders to renew TV licences and bills for service and conservancy charges will be sent to this Internet mailbox. To be called OneInbox, it represents a new government approach in harnessing technology for the next phase of its masterplan to deliver services electronically. People can log into the mailbox using their SingPass ID as well as register online to get e-mail and SMS alerts for new mail. Another new feature in the masterplan for 2011 to 2015 is to give residents an online 'safe deposit box' for them to store important personal documents such as their birth certificate and statements of Central Provident Fund savings. So, if there is a fire, people no longer need to risk their lives running into their homes to save their important documents, the government's chief information officer James Kang said yesterday. A third feature is a tracking function that lets people check online the status of their transactions with public agencies, similar to how they can now track registered mail online. Mr Kang, the Infocomm Development Authority's (IDA) assistant chief executive, unveiled these new features in the five-year masterplan at a forum to exchange ideas on government online strategies. Together with the head of the civil service Peter Ho, he painted in broad strokes the sea change that lies ahead, without elaborating on the steps involved. In Singapore, four out of five homes have Internet access. For those without, Mr Ho assured that 'no one will be left out or left behind'. He gave the assurance in his opening address at the iGov global forum in Suntec City, attended by 300 public servants and delegates from 28 countries. It was organised by the Finance Ministry and IDA. In Mr Ho's view, such popular social networking tools as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are going to power the 'quantum leap' in the way the public sector serves the people. 'We now see a growing constituency of empowered citizens who do not necessarily subscribe to the notion of 'Government knows best'. 'The same disruptive technologies that are empowering citizens can also be harnessed by the public sector to deliver efficient and effective services,' he said. However, this can work only when Singapore moves away from the current top-down 'Government-to-You' mindset to a 'Government-with-You' mindset, he added. To foster the new attitude, public agencies should work with the private sector and people to better serve the public, said Mr Ho, citing the case of the Land Transport Authority (LTA) teaming up with Google. LTA combined its vast public transport database with Google Maps last year to give motorists and commuters real-time information on road traffic conditions and the best route to take. Another point he stressed is the need for agencies to actively involve citizens in shaping public policies. Its importance was also underlined by speakers from other countries. For instance, the United States government held an online dialogue for six weeks recently, during which netizens engaged moderators from various agencies on their services, said Dr David McClure of the US General Services Administration. Although online safe deposit boxes are available in the private sector here, analysts and Singaporeans contacted yesterday expressed concern over security and privacy issues. 'But Singapore has experience in managing such issues and can ensure checks are robust,' said National University of Singapore professor Wong Poh Kam. Copywriter Sheryl Guo, 28, likes the convenience of the OneInbox, but worries: 'Are there safeguards against unauthorised access?' Undergraduate Luo Yanjie, 25, added that 'should my account get hacked, I will know about it much later than if I had just misplaced my identity card', a statement reflecting the common concern that online theft is difficult to detect. zakirh@sph.com.sg andreao@sph.com.sg