Plans to Set Up More ServiceSG Centres across Singapore

1 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Prime Minister whether the Public Service Division can share what are the plans (i) to set up more ServiceSG centres across Singapore and to involve more partnering agencies in the initiative and (ii) to require that at the same time for Ministries and agencies to set aside physical counters for seniors requiring assistance to assess public services.

The Minister for Education (Mr Chan Chun Sing) (for the Prime Minister): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Public Service is committed to ensuring that government services continue to be accessible and inclusive for all as more government services digitalise. We have put in place schemes and initiatives to bridge the digital divide, by enabling digital access and accessibility, and upskilling citizens on digital skills and knowledge.

We have significantly expanded the number of ServiceSG Centres to better serve the community. Since its inception in 2021, ServiceSG has set up seven centres. These centres are strategically located at Our Tampines Hub, One Punggol, Bukit Canberra, Kampong Chai Chee Community Club, Nee Soon Central Community Club, The Frontier Community Club and Keat Hong Community Club. The ServiceSG Centres have also expanded their service offerings in partnership with more than 25 agencies, providing almost 600 services to citizens.

We will continue to expand the network of centres to prioritise areas with higher demand and concentration of citizens, particularly seniors, who require support with multiple digital transactions. In line with this, two new centres will be established at Woodlands Civic Centre and Bukit Merah town central by the end of 2024.

Presently, our agencies with physical service centres primarily offer in-person assistance on an appointment-only basis. This approach allows citizens to schedule visits at their convenience for transactions that cannot be completed online, thereby reducing the frustration of long queues or wait times. While agencies encourage citizens to make appointments for face-to-face consultations, they do exercise discretion in assisting less digitally savvy and vulnerable individuals who walk in without making appointments. Trained service ambassadors are also present at these service centres to assist less digitally literate individuals in triaging their needs and completing their transactions.

Seniors can also walk into ServiceSG Centres and no prior appointment is needed.

Mr Speaker: Mr Yip.

Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister for his reply. I also thank him for his reply to my cut on service delivery during yesterday's Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Committee of Supply debate.

Good to hear that we are expanding more ServiceSG Centres across Singapore – and I hope to get one in Ang Mo Kio and also in Yio Chu Kang. I have two supplementary questions.

First, are there plans to increase the availability of multilingual support at the ServiceSG Centres to serve Singapore's diverse population? Second, are there plans by the Public Service to ensure that ServiceSG Centres do not simply duplicate existing services offered by individual Ministries and agencies, but rather, take the opportunity of co-location to streamline services? This could mean, perhaps, rewiring certain protocols and processes, reduce duplication and perhaps, find new ways of doing things.

Mr Chan Chun Sing: Mr Speaker, Sir, three points in response to Mr Yip Hon Weng's comments. First, yes, we have received Mr Yip Hon Weng's Yip Chu Kang and Ang Mo Kio request and we are processing it now. Second, yes, we will increase the number of multilingual-abled service ambassadors to the extent that we can. Third, indeed, we do not want to duplicate services and we want to rationalise, integrate and synergise the service delivery across the various agencies in order to save resources and manpower.