PUBLISHED ONJuly 08, 2025 9:50 AMBYChing Shi JieSingapore's public service must continue to innovate in the face of rising public expectations and global competition, said Coordinating Minister for Public Services Chan Chun Sing on Tuesday (July 8).
Giving a speech at the opening of the Public Service Festival in One Punggol, Chan, who is also Minister for Defence, said that the public service has contributed much to Singapore's survival and success over the past 60 years — citing National Service and the Central Provident Fund as "key examples of our pioneering spirit".
He added that while Singapore is also ranked highly in many global indices comparing quality of life and government services, other countries are catching up or have "overtaken us in certain areas".
Chan gave an example of how Estonia has become the first county fully digitise its government services, and China is serving over a billion citizens with artificial intelligence-powered services.
"These are all calls to action for us to continue to hone what we have done well, to keep improving so that we stay ahead of the curve… to attract those investments that will create good jobs and pay good wages for our people," he added.
"My greatest concern is that we become complacent. Success must not become the albatross for our future."
Chan said that among his priorities, the public service must continue to innovate with citizens at the centre of "what we do".
"Nobody enjoys going to the doctor and having to be asked the same question over and over again. Everyone expects them to tell the doctor once and the record will be there to be shared across different agencies," he said. "And that is the same standards we expect across all agencies."
Chan said that there has been progress in the government agencies coordinating their services together to deliver a more "seamless and integrated experience" for the public.
This includes ServiceSG centres which provide Singaporeans with access to services from across 25 different government agencies — from resetting Singpass accounts to filing taxes and passport renewals.
Another way for the different government agencies coming together to maximise resources, according to Chan, is through building integrated lifestyle and community hubs like One Punggol and Our Tampines Hub.
"We have swimming pools, a library and a ServiceSG centre here," he said. "It's a bit like a Swiss Army Knife.
Chan said that such projects was not easy at first as it requires the different agencies to "synchronise their requirements and make compromises".
"But imagine if we have done it differently, where each agency continues to only do things for themselves. First, it will have cost us much more. Second, it would have required much more land," he added.
"But most importantly, our service delivery will be fragmented, and what the public can see and enjoy will also be fragmented."
A total of 140 awards were presented at Tuesday's event to public agencies and officers for their initiatives and innovations.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) was awarded the Transformative Agency of the Year Award for implementing passport-less clearance at Singapore's air and sea checkpoints, as well as through the QR code system at the land checkpoints in Woodlands and Tuas.
ICA said that its New Clearance Concept allows the authority to upskill the job roles of over 3,000 frontline officers, adding that it enables them to take on higher-value roles to better safeguard the borders.
"ICA is honoured to receive the Transformative Agency of the Year Award, which recognises our efforts in transforming checkpoint operations and affirms our commitment to delivering a more seamless, efficient, and secure immigration clearance experience under the NCC," said Senior Assistant Commissioner Kelly Lim, director at ICA's Operations Division.
"ICA will continue to refine and enhance our checkpoint operations to deliver a world class travel experience for travellers and keep Singapore's border secured."
As for Carolina Lee from the People's Association (PA), serving the community meant more than winning the Exemplary Service Excellence award.
The 59-year-old first joined PA in 1992 as a childcare teacher and is currently manning the counters at Toa Payoh East Community Club to help residents who need help.
It was where she met Mr Lim, an elderly blind wheelchair user who first sought help with his CDC vouchers.
She later volunteered after her working hours to take him to a Traditional Chinese Medicine clinic days before Chinese New Year this year, and coordinated with a social worker to ensure that his meals are delivered uninterrupted during the holidays.
"I feel really good. Helping someone is very contagious. Not only to the residents, but also our colleagues," said Lee.
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