Debated in Parliament on 16 May 2014.
MCI's mission is to build a nation of connected people and achieve a better quality of life by developing vibrant infocomm, media and design sectors, cultivating learning communities, and fostering an engaged public.
IDA and MDA will develop a new Infocomm Media Masterplan to make Singapore a Smart Nation that leads the world in harnessing infocomm and media (ICM) technologies. The Design Singapore Council will push for design disciplines to be widely applied in the Food, Retail and Infocomm services, so as to raise productivity and competitiveness.
Infocomm, Media and Design will offer good jobs for Singaporeans who are willing to make, create, tinker and build. Promoting computational thinking in students and our youths will better equip them to be creators of solutions, and not just consumers of technology.
We will nurture innovative enterprises by fostering a vibrant startup ecosystem in infocomm, media and design. We will give Singapore-based tech-product startups a chance to go through a rigorous accreditation process led by IDA and level the playing field to enable accredited firms to effectively compete in appropriate Government ICT tenders.
We will build new infrastructure to serve our future needs, such as a heterogeneous network and a nationwide sensor network.
We will introduce measures to improve the resilience of our media and infocomm infrastructure in both the physical world and cyberspace. We will continue to reach out to the public and partner with them to raise infocomm security adoption.
Our regulatory environment will need to keep pace with changes. We will study whether Internet and mobile services should be classified as an "essential utility" under the Telecommunications Act, in order to simplify the rollout of high-speed broadband and mobile connectivity.
We will ensure that infocomm and media sector regulations continue to safeguard the consumer. We will review the Media Market Competition Code, including the anti-siphoning provisions. We will ensure content classification standards are continuously aligned with community values and expectations. We will expand co-regulation into more areas, such as
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films and arts entertainment.
We will work with the community to promote information literacy, media literacy and safe and responsible online behaviour.
We will ensure infocomm and media regulations protect and uphold the public interest and the national interest. We will amend the Broadcasting Act so that it can provide a single legislative framework for converged media services.
We will develop a new masterplan for the National Library and National Archives, with a strong focus on facilitating Singapore content creation. We will expand the programme to digitise our collections and archives. We will partner the community so that "citizen-archivists" can contribute in transcription and documentation of our collections. We will expand our partnerships with researchers and media producers, to use the collections and archives as a resource. We will also upgrade the NLB and NAS premises.
We will continue to improve the quality of Public Service Broadcasts, so that Singaporeans enjoy diverse programme choices. We will take steps to promote and cultivate an appreciation for Singapore-made productions. We will also invite more broadcasters and production houses to participate in the production of PSB programmes.
We will ensure infocomm and media are enjoyed by as many Singaporeans as possible. We will set up a Digital Inclusion Fund. We will study how to progressively raise the percentage of TV broadcasts that are subtitled, so as to eventually cover all broadcasts. We will design disabled-friendly services, such as Two-Factor Authentication tokens for the visually handicapped that were launched earlier this year, and ensure the development of e-Government services that are accessible to the handicapped.
We will continue to enhance public engagement through REACH. REACH will continue to explore new ways of interacting with Singaporeans, such as through open concept booths located at malls, bus interchanges or MRT stations known as "Listening Points". REACH will also enhance its online and social media capabilities to engage citizens who prefer interacting online.
We will enhance the Government Communications Service, streamlining operational processes and reviewing training for all communications officers.
With the support of the National Translation Committee (NTC), comprising members from the private, public and people sectors, we will uphold good translation standards in Government communications, promote best practices and groom good translators through
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scholarships and training courses.
Ultimately, MCI's programmes aim to improve quality of life for Singaporeans and, in so doing, build a Better Singapore.
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PAPERCUTS