Digital & technology — Topics

1 Aug 2022

Licences Awarded to Digital Payment Token Service Providers and Plans to Promote Singapore as Cryptocurrency Hub

The Ministry stated that Singapore's financial system has been largely unaffected by the recent cryptocurrency market turmoil, with limited exposure from key institutions and the six licensed Digital Payment Token (DPT) service providers.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is evaluating the financial condition of DPT applicants and will enhance the regulatory framework, with a focus on anti-money laundering, terrorism financing, and restricting public promotion of such services.
MAS reiterated its aim to grow a responsible digital asset ecosystem centered on real-world use cases like trade finance and cross-border payments, while actively discouraging risky retail participation in cryptocurrency trading.

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1 Aug 2022

Singaporeans' Exposure to Recent Collapse TerraUSD Stablecoin and Luna Tokens

Saktiandi Supaat asked the Prime Minister for data on Singaporeans' exposure to the TerraUSD and Luna collapse, systemic risks from fundraising efforts, and the status of MAS's review of crypto regulation.
Tharman Shanmugaratnam, representing the Prime Minister, stated that spillovers to the mainstream financial system are limited and banks have insignificant exposures, though public crypto holding data is unavailable.
MAS is actively reviewing stablecoin regulation, currently treating them as digital payment tokens under the Payment Services Act, and plans to consult the public on a tailored regime addressing reserve requirements and peg stability.

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1 Aug 2022

"Live" Broadcast of English Premier League Matches Under IMDA's Crosscarriage Framework

Murali Pillai questioned whether pay TV operators have discretion under IMDA’s Cross Carriage Measure (CCM) to not share exclusive content and whether both Singtel and StarHub must jointly broadcast all English Premier League matches live, even if exceeding four channels, with measures to ensure this.
Murali Pillai also asked why IMDA allows StarHub to charge $64.90 per month for the Premier League Pack via crosscarriage, compared to a $19.99 promotional rate for the same content via StarHub’s set-top boxes.
Josephine Teo explained that the CCM requires exclusive "live" TV programmes to be cross-carried on non-discriminatory terms, but StarHub decides the number of live channels and must broadcast non-real-time matches within 48 hours, with IMDA oversight.
She clarified that the $64.90 price applies to Pay TV platform subscriptions for all subscribers, while the $19.99 rate is for StarHub’s OTT Premier+ pack, which is not covered by CCM and offers discounts for bundled services.
The CCM aims to reduce consumer inconvenience and costs by enabling access to exclusive content via one set-top box, but it does not apply to OTT platforms where content is more accessible.

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1 Aug 2022

Actions Taken by SkillsFuture Singapore in light of Lapses in Disbursement of Grants

SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) is recovering an estimated $4.22 million in overpaid grants due to inaccurate declarations and manual processing errors, and has implemented a new IT system to verify eligibility using government data to prevent recurrence.
SSG is addressing a $43 million variance in Skills Development Levy (SDL) collection from 2015-2020 through a risk-based approach, with plans to launch a new IT system by mid-next year and engage employers to reconcile and collect outstanding payments.
Accountability will be enforced, with individuals found negligent facing action, and SSG is reviewing business rules, the SDL Act, and contract terms with service providers, while working with GovTech to enhance systems and ensure grants for legitimate lifelong learning continue uninterrupted.

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5 Jul 2022

Success of Soft Launch of FoodConnect Directory and Database

Ms He Ting Ru asked for the number of households signed up, community groups registered, and success metrics for the FoodConnect directory and database.
The FoodConnect Directory lists 25 organisations, including seven new ones onboarded after the soft launch, and helps match families to food support based on location and dietary needs.
The FoodConnect Database contains data for about 500 households served by four organisations, with 14 more organisations interested in joining.
Success will be measured over time by tracking onboarding and usage of the systems to reduce duplication and food wastage.

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5 Jul 2022

Timeline and Milestones Towards Achieving Islandwide Full Operational Deployment of Autonomous Vehicles

The Minister for Transport, S Iswaran, stated that the timeline for islandwide deployment of autonomous vehicles depends on technological progress meeting safety standards and achieving public acceptance, with global trials still in early stages.
The government’s approach will be gradual and inclusive, ensuring AVs meet safety requirements before wider adoption while agencies plan associated infrastructure and legislative frameworks in partnership with industry and experts.
No specific milestones or fixed deadlines were provided, as deployment timelines remain contingent on AV technology readiness and societal acceptance within Singapore’s context.

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5 Jul 2022

Percentage of Uncovered Drug Operations and Transactions Conducted via Chat Applications

Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Home Affairs for an update on the percentage of uncovered drug operations and transactions conducted via encrypted chat applications.
K Shanmugam explained that drug traffickers and abusers use various methods including encrypted chat apps like Telegram and WhatsApp, phone calls, and in-person meetings, with an observed increase in using these apps to advertise drugs and arrange deliveries.
The Ministry declined to provide the specific percentage, citing operational security reasons.

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5 Jul 2022

Recent Interruption of Digital Banking Services and Affected Customers

Since July 2021, four major retail banks reported eight interruptions to digital banking services, mostly resolved within three hours and affecting an average of 12,000 customers, with the longest incident lasting 39 hours due to a malfunction in DBS Bank's access control servers.
The root causes were primarily internal to the banks, such as software misconfigurations and system errors, with one incident linked to a third-party cloud service provider outage.
MAS requires banks to recover critical services within four hours and limits unscheduled downtime to four hours per 12 months, taking supervisory action for breaches, as seen with DBS Bank being directed to appoint an independent expert and hold additional capital after its prolonged disruption.
MAS has issued new Business Continuity Management Guidelines and Technology Risk Management Guidelines to address IT resilience, third-party risks, and cloud dependencies, and is collaborating with industry and international bodies on best practices.
The incidents underscore the need for banks to enhance IT resilience through redundancy, swift recovery, and robust business continuity planning, with MAS committed to ongoing industry collaboration.

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5 Jul 2022

Impact on Service Standards of Government Agencies When Civil Servants Work From Home

The Public Service adapted to work-from-home and split teams during COVID-19, shifting to hybrid service delivery through call centers and digital platforms to maintain operations.
Citizen satisfaction surveys showed slight dips in call center services in 2020, with overall service satisfaction dropping but recovering toward the end of 2020 and into 2021.
The government will continue to uphold high service standards by leveraging technology and training staff to improve integrated physical, digital, and call center services in the new normal.

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5 Jul 2022

Impact of Proposed Expansion of POSB Smart Buddy Programme on Primary School Students

Tan Wu Meng inquired whether the Ministry of Education has studied the short- and long-term impacts of early exposure to e-payments on primary school children, including those with and without prior experience using physical currency, and what the results of such studies are.
Chan Chun Sing responded that MOE has partnered with DBS to implement e-payment infrastructure in all primary schools by 2025, offering cashless options alongside continued cash payments, and that a 2018 pilot study showed positive feedback on students developing financial habits like tracking spending and saving.
The Ministry emphasized that teaching money management—whether through cash or digital means—is key to preparing students for a cashless world, and it will continue to monitor and guide students in developing financial literacy.

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4 Jul 2022

Penalties for Internet Service Providers for Fault Repairs Taking Longer than 24 Hours

Raj Joshua Thomas proposed penalties for ISPs if internet fault repairs exceed 24 hours, emphasizing the critical role of internet access in Singapore.
Mrs Josephine Teo responded that existing IMDA standards are already stricter, with investigations and financial penalties for outages lasting over an hour, ranging from $30,000 to $400,000 in the past two years.
IMDA also implements measures like regular audits and network resilience requirements to ensure prompt service restoration and international best practices.

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4 Jul 2022

Take-up Rates for Various Digital Support Programmes and Ensuring Availability of Digital Learning Devices for Students

Several MPs raised questions about the percentage of students in rental flats without digital devices or internet access, the take-up rates of IMDA’s digital support programmes, and the projected timeline for reaching vulnerable households.
The Minister noted that over 90% of low-income households with school-going children have computer access, and IMDA’s NEU PC Plus and Home Access programmes supported 39,000 households from 2020 to 2022, with increased outreach through pre-qualification and collaboration with social agencies.
The government is working to streamline applications, enhance programme offerings, and strengthen inter-Ministry efforts to reduce the digital divide across income brackets.

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4 Jul 2022

Programmes to Train Seniors to Adopt Digital Services Including Making Online Purchases and Using Digital Banking Services

The Seniors Go Digital Programme, led by the SG Digital Office, has engaged over 130,000 seniors through one-to-one and group sessions, teaching them digital skills for government services, online banking, and medical bill payments via HealthHub, with about nine in ten reporting continued use of these skills.
The Mobile Access for Seniors Scheme, managed by IMDA, provides subsidised devices and connectivity to lower-income seniors, benefiting over 9,000 individuals since 2020, and is complemented by the Tech Connect programme offering one-to-one assistance at community centres.
Additional support includes the Smart Nation Digital Government Office’s online resources, the Digital for Life movement engaging private and public partners for scam and digital safety education, and integrated ServiceSG Centres offering first-stop assistance for digital government services.

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4 Jul 2022

Benefits of Smart Car Park System Developed by ST Engineering and NTU and Plans for More Such Barrier-free Access

Melvin Yong asked about the benefits of the Smart Car Park System by ST Engineering and NTU and plans for more barrier-free smart car parks.
Desmond Lee stated that car park operators can adopt technologies like HDB’s barrier-free Parking@HDB system, which uses cameras for vehicle detection and automatic payment via mobile app.
HDB is evaluating and finetuning the pilot at Punggol Northshore before scaling it up to other HDB car parks.

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4 Jul 2022

Implementation of Further Restrictions on Cryptocurrency Trading Platforms to Protect Members of Public

Murali Pillai asked the Prime Minister whether MAS intends to impose further restrictions on cryptocurrency trading platforms to protect unsophisticated individuals from high-risk trades.
Tharman Shanmugaratnam, responding for the Prime Minister, stated that MAS has long warned cryptocurrencies are unsuitable for retail investors and has already restricted their public advertising and marketing.
MAS is considering additional consumer protection measures, such as limits on retail participation and leverage rules, but emphasizes the need for international regulatory coordination due to the borderless nature of cryptocurrency markets.

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4 Jul 2022

Completion of Review of Use of SMS and Clickable Links for Government Agencies by Smart Nation Digital Government Group

The Smart Nation Digital Government Group has completed its review and decided against removing links from government SMSes, noting that while SMS is widely accessible, spoofing risks remain; instead, the government will focus on backend prevention, detection, and user education to combat scams.
The government will only use ".gov.sg" domains in SMS links, direct users to trusted government websites, and limit SMS links to essential large-scale mobilizations, while never asking for credentials directly through SMS-linked sites.
Measures include blocking spoofed sender IDs via the Singapore SMS Sender ID Registry, screening scam messages upstream with telcos and tools like ScamShield, and enhancing detection through multi-factor authentication and fraud analytics.
The government is speeding up scam response through a new WhatsApp reporting channel, collaboration with agencies to block scam websites, and partnerships with financial institutions to freeze suspicious accounts.

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4 Jul 2022

Avenues of Recourse when Social Media Organisations Do Not Comply with Government's Directions

Darryl David asked if the government has recourse when social media organisations fail to comply with directions to disable harmful content, disallow accounts, or remove egregious content.
Josephine Teo stated that two proposed Codes of Practice aim to enhance online safety, with one allowing IMDA to direct providers to disable access to harmful content in Singapore.
She emphasised that non-compliance must lead to enforcement actions, with details of the enforcement framework to be provided after studying international and local models.

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4 Jul 2022

Steps to Protect Singapore's Critical Infrastructure from Malware Threat

The Minister explained that malware like Pipedream targets industrial control systems and can disrupt operations, collect data, or cause physical harm, but no such attacks have been found in Singapore’s critical infrastructure.
The Cyber Security Agency (CSA) has issued advisories, required critical infrastructure owners to meet cybersecurity standards, and launched the SG Cyber Safe Programme to help companies strengthen defenses.
The government provides toolkits, certifications like Cyber Essentials and Cyber Trust marks, and public advisories to raise awareness and support companies in taking necessary precautions.

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4 Jul 2022

Insights on Anonymised Data of Community Development Council Digital Voucher Usage for Targeted Support to Lower-income Households

Edward Chia asked for insights on anonymised CDC digital voucher usage data, how CDCs plan to use these insights to target support for lower-income households, and how the data and system can support social agency partners’ voucher schemes.
Minister Edwin Tong stated the CDC Vouchers Scheme was launched to support households and heartland merchants during the pandemic, with no need to collect household income data as it is open to all Singaporean households.
High uptake and spending were reported: 96% of eligible households claimed 2021 vouchers with 80.3% spent, and 83% claimed 2022 vouchers with 40.2% spent within two months.
The digital voucher system uses GovTech’s RedeemSG platform, which can be adopted by other government agencies interested in similar schemes.

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9 May 2022

Update on Utilisation of CDC Vouchers and Heartland Merchants On board CDC Vouchers Scheme

As of end-March 2022, over 15,000 hawkers and heartland merchants have onboarded the CDC Vouchers Scheme, with about 1.12 million households claiming vouchers and more than $72 million spent at participating merchants.
The CDC Vouchers Scheme uses the RedeemSG platform, a general-purpose system designed to support various government campaigns and make digital voucher redemption easy for merchants and recipients.
The RedeemSG platform is being developed to accommodate a wider range of uses, including by government agencies, charities, and for philanthropic purposes, potentially allowing e-vouchers to be distributed to heartland shops.

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