15 Jun 2010 – iGov Global Forum/One Inbox!

In 1911 & 1923, these two gentlemen whom I have most admiration and respect for were born, father LAM Tin Yue (1911-1996) and Linn & May’s grandfather John HALD (1923-2008). They are both no longer in this world but fond memories of them will never fade. A lady is not synonymous to a female or woman and a gentleman is not the same as a man or male. Unfortunately there are very few gentlemen and ladies in today’s world! Hopefully, son-in-law Jeff will follow their ways!

The World Cup is ongoing and not being a soccer fan, have not been following with the scores or updates. May the best team wins 🙂

Yesterday’s SIN Straits Times: ALL residents will have an online mailbox to which various Government agencies will send statements and bills from tax statements to TV license renewals and service and conservancy bills. Called OneInbox, this service will be launched by 2012. It is part of a new approach to cut down on paper, make it quick and easy for people to keep track of their bills, and provide citizens with a digital ‘safe deposit box’ for their important documents and statements.

People will also be able to track the status of their transactions with various public agencies online, just like they track registered mail. This future was painted in broad strokes by the Government’s chief information officer James Kang on Monday in a presentation on Singapore’s e-Government strategy over the next decade, without detailing the changes that will take place…

… Civil Service Head Peter Ho noted that the popularity of social networking tools such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube has seen ‘a growing constituency of empowered citizens who do not necessarily subscribe to the notion of ‘Government knows best’.’ ‘The same disruptive technologies that are empowering citizens can also be harnessed by the public sector to deliver efficient and effective services,’ he said.

It sounds efficient and well but have they forgotten that many do not have access to computers or laptops and if they do, they might not know how to use them. How about online access? Is this another inexperience Government knows best non-thought through situations, often resulting to the chicken and egg consequences?? How about educating and helping non-savvy computer people first and then providing easily accessible and free online service before the Onebox???

There is nothing so easy to learn as experience and nothing so hard to apply – Josh Billings