Closure of SingPost Offices and Impact on Availability Standards for Services such as Passport Collection

6 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) whether postal services providers, including SingPost, which partner public sector agencies for services, such as ICA passport collection, are subject to service availability standards in HDB heartlands, including the requirements to ensure adequate alternatives when a post office closes down; and (b) whether IMDA has examined (i) the reasons for the closure of the Clementi Mall post office and (ii) the adequacy of the proposed alternative arrangements.

The Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information (Mr Tan Kiat How) (for the Minister for Digital Development and Information): Sir, Government agencies must decide how best to deliver services to the public, which may include using customer touchpoints through private-sector entities like SingPost. The arrangements made by public agencies to provide Government services at post offices are bound by contractual agreements rather than availability standards under our postal regulations.

I have previously shared with this House the reasons for the rationalisation of SingPost's post office network. Agencies that provide services through post offices are actively exploring alternative arrangements.

The closure of the Clementi Central Post Office is part of SingPost's plan to optimise its post office network. Customers will continue to have access to a POPStation parcel locker at Clementi Mall and a Self-Service Automated Machine (SAM) kiosk located 300 metres away. SingPost has also said it will be adding alternative customer service touchpoints to serve residents within the vicinity.

Most Government services are already accessible through digital means. Nonetheless, residents who need assistance with Government digital transactions can walk in to ServiceSG Centres to access about 600 frequently used Government services and schemes across more than 25 public agencies. There are now seven ServiceSG Centres located around Singapore and another two to be operationalised by the end of this year.

Mr Speaker: Dr Tan Wu Meng.

Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong): Mr Speaker, I thank the Senior Minister of State for his answer. I have got two sets of supplementary questions.

Firstly, does the Minister agree that even though SingPost is a private listed company providing some services for Government agencies on a contractual basis, nevertheless, during COVID-19, we saw how the private firm was brought in to serve a public purpose, such as distributing the Antigen Rapid Test (ART) kits during a national crisis.

Today, does the Minister also not agree that the provision of Immigration and Checkpoints Authority passport collection services is considered a quasi-public service as well through SingPost? As such, can the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) work with other agencies, to explore ways for such postal service providers, private providers with some public service provision, for such providers to continue having a strong presence in our heartlands? For example, better access to void decks or the use of community centres or, for example, if a postal provider sets up a non-profit philanthropic arm, would they be allowed to co-locate postal services in void decks and other such areas?

Secondly, can I ask the Minister could IMDA have acted earlier and worked with SingPost to find an alternative venue, given this element of public service character or quasi-public service character for SingPost's services and could SingPost have communicated it better? Some of my residents were told that the nearest available alternative SingPost offices would be in West Coast, Teban Gardens or Ghim Moh, despite Clementi Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) being a transport node and a future MRT interchange.

Mr Tan Kiat How: Sir, I thank the Member for the two supplementary questions. Let me take the Member's second question first. I am happy to share with the Member that besides the nearby post office at Clementi West, there are also alternatives within the vicinity for his residents. I mentioned earlier the POPStation located at Clementi Mall, which is the same location as the original Clementi Central Post Office, and at the SAM kiosk located 300 metres away at Block 451 Clementi Avenue 3. SingPost is also looking at third party postal agents, for example, supermarkets and so on, in which these can provide services to the residents in the vicinity. And SingPost continues to look at alternative locations to provide convenient access for its customers and it is something that SingPost has committed to exploring.

On the Member's first question that during a crisis period where we tap on private sector organisations or companies to provide essential services, he mentioned about ART kits and COVID-19 test kits, he might remember that during that period of time, actually the Government agencies that were providing that essential service were leveraging multiple touchpoints. We will remember residents going to community centres (CCs) to collect the ART kits or masks and so on?

It is not just working through one single channel. So, Government agencies, as part of their operations, do plan for business continuity services during crisis periods. And this is something all Government agencies do, including some services the Member mentioned.

And if the Member has specific questions about passport collection, I would invite the Member to file a Parliamentary Question (PQ) to the relevant Ministry.

Mr Speaker: Dr Tan Wu Meng.

Dr Tan Wu Meng: I thank the Senior Minister of State for his reply. Can I further ask the Ministry, in the assessment of SAM and POPStations, will the Ministry continue giving attention to the challenges faced by seniors who may be less digitally savvy and less able to use such touchpoints? Secondly, as the Senior Minister of State has mentioned the emergence of ServiceSG Centres, would he be able to advise us where is the nearest ServiceSG Centre to Clementi? And can we have one in Clementi soon, in a substantive way, if not already on the cards?

Mr Tan Kiat How: Sir, we are always sympathetic to the needs of residents, especially those who are more mobility-challenged and those who may need more help. That is why we have CCs and public agency touchpoints in the community. And this is something we will continue to look at as a whole-of-Government movement.

Specifically on the Member's question around the ServiceSG Centres, unfortunately, I do not have the answer with me. It is not under my Ministry's remit. So, I would invite the Member to file a PQ to the relevant Ministry.