Government Assistance for Residents who are Not Digitally Literate

2 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) how will the Government assist residents who are not digitally literate with the use of digital services; and (b) how do Government agencies communicate with residents who do not have an email.

The Minister for Communications and Information (Mrs Josephine Teo): Mr Speaker, the Government fully recognises that not everyone is comfortable using digital tools. The SG Digital Office was established in June 2020 to support the adoption of basic digital tools and skills among less digitally savvy individuals. Residents can visit SG Digital community hubs at selected libraries and community centres to receive one-to-one or small group training on skills, such as how to use a smartphone, make e-payments and learn cybersecurity tips on how to stay safe online. To date, more than 210,000 seniors have been engaged under the Seniors Go Digital Programme.

Additionally, many agencies provide in-person and contact centre services, to assist those who may have difficulty transacting with Government online. The Public Service has also set up five ServiceSG Centres to serve as one-stop physical touchpoints where officers can guide residents through digital transactions and help them complete frequently used Government services across 20 agencies.

While the Government’s use of digital communication channels has increased, offline channels remain critical. On top of newspaper publications and broadcasts via free-to-air television and radio, many Government agencies inform residents of key policy announcements through hard copy letters, via the Digital Display Panels at HDB blocks and even through house visits. For example, the Silver Generation Office conducts outreach to communicate Government policies to residents and guide seniors who need help applying for assistance schemes online.

Even as more services are digitalised, the Government remains committed to maintaining an inclusive society and will continue to ensure that residents can communicate and transact with the Government, regardless of their digital ability.

Mr Speaker: Mr Lim Biow Chuan.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Sir, I want to acknowledge the good work of the Government in trying to reach out to the seniors who are not digitally savvy.

I recently had a case where a resident wanted to file a complaint with the Community Dispute Resolution Tribunal (CDRT). He had to navigate through the entire digital process when he needed to lodge a complaint. So, I asked one of my volunteers to help him. At the end of the day, my volunteer said the Court would then communicate with him via email.

May I ask the Minister what can a resident who is senior, not literate and who is unable to understand and navigate, such as how to go about applying for Government services, what can they do in situations like that? My resident tried to go to Court and the services rendered were not quite there. He is left struggling. So, perhaps, the Government can assist.

Mrs Josephine Teo: Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his question and for his very useful feedback. We recognise that there will be situations like these where residents will feel quite unsure about what to do when they encounter Government services that have shifted online substantially.

My suggestion to the Member is to encourage the resident to call at one of our ServiceSG Centres. The alternative is that through a partnership between IMDA and the People's Association (PA), there are 38 Community Centres that offer a scaled down version of what is available at the ServiceSG Centres.

To give the Member a sense of the scale that ServiceSG Centres are able to help residents with, in terms of services, each one of these ServiceSG Centres, typically, will be able to work with the residents to go through more than upwards of 400 types of services offered by the Government. The 38 Community Centres where there is a partnership between IMDA and PA, they also offer upwards of 200 services that they can help residents to complete. [Please refer to "Clarification by Minister for Communications and Information", Official Report, 30 November 2022, Vol 95, Issue No 78, Correction by Written Statement section.]

If all else fails, Mr Lim is very welcome to send an email to me and I will certainly find a way to help his resident.

Mr Speaker: Mr Dennis Tan.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Hougang): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can I just jump in on this? I have a very similar case where an elderly resident who has difficulty trying to file a claim to CDRT. May I humbly suggest that perhaps MCI can work with the Courts on how to facilitate laypeople, especially seniors with digital issues and difficulties with using digital platforms, to file appropriate claims in CDRT?

Mrs Josephine Teo: Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for his comment. It is certainly a good suggestion.

May I also just say the broader point that Mr Dennis Tan as well as Mr Lim Biow Chuan brought up is that even in terms of the way we design services, and as agencies pivot to digital delivery, they should be conscious of the fact that there will be certain segments of the population that will not find it so comfortable to use digital services and to make the non-digital service options still available. That is, indeed, the philosophy that we are trying to adopt.

One very common reference that we can all relate to is the use of the CDC vouchers, for example. Even in terms of how it is being designed, it has in mind how citizens who are not so comfortable using digital tools can be enabled to benefit from the scheme. That is why a non-digital option was retained.

Over time, I think we see that fewer and fewer of our citizens need to rely on those non-digital options, but we will, obviously, have to keep those non-digital options available until such time that most, if not all, of these citizens can migrate to the digital versions.