CitizenConnect and Mobile Government are part of the Ministry of Finance's effort to bring convenience to citizens and increase the reach and diversity of electronic services available. The third initiative, The Enterprise Challenge, provides funding to test innovative ideas that have potential to improve the delivery of public services.

A CitizenConnect helper assists a citizen with her applications.

The three were grouped by the award administrator into a single submission, which reached the top 20 out of 100 applications from 30 countries.

The award is administered by the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University's John F Kennedy School of Government, and sponsored by IBM.

CitizenConnect is aimed at increasing the reach of Government e-services to Singapore residents, especially for those with difficulties transacting online. 28 CitizenConnect centres have been set up at accessible locations where residents live or work, and each is equipped with two personal computers with Internet access and online payment peripherals such as cashcard readers. CitizenConnect officers are around to offer help and guidance so that the user will be better equipped for future transactions. As a result of this programme, many of the citizens who have been helped have expressed greater confidence about using online services and are able to reap the its benefits.

Mobile Government (m-government) enables citizens to access Government information and services conveniently through mobile devices. The programme was initiated to leverage on the huge potential of the mobile delivery channel. With over 100 per cent mobile penetration rate in Singapore, citizens today are be able to access a wide variety of government information and services conveniently through mobile devices. Currently, there are more than 150 services offered and the target is to increase to close to 300 mobile government services by 2008.

Some examples of mobile government services include accessing Central Provident Fund account balances, checking the latest Certificate of Entitlement prices and booking of Individual Physical Proficiency Test via mobile phones. In addition, the SMS channel is used to reach out to citizens more proactively and to solicit their feedback on government policies and topics of interest.

Mr Lim Hup Seng, Deputy Secretary (Performance), Ministry of Finance said the projects are good examples of innovative and creative solutions which benefit the citizens and help to enhance Singapore's competitive edge.

“Even as we work to tackle new challenges that arise, the spirit of innovation must stay strong in the public sector. The CitizenConnect and Mobile Government have transformed the delivery of public services and people can now access them anytime, anywhere," he said.

The third initiative, The Enterprise Challenge, assists individuals with innovative ideas by identifying and providing suitable test-beds within the Public Service. Successful trials will pave the way for implementation in public agencies. Since its inception in March 2000, TEC has received some 1,400 proposals from public sector officers and from the private sector (individuals and companies).

More information on CitizenConnect and m-government can be found at www.ecitizen.gov.sg, while details of TEC are available at www.tec.gov.sg.