Tuesday, 16 September 2025
30.3 C
Singapore
33.6 C
Thailand
28.3 C
Indonesia
27.4 C
Philippines

Government Technology Agency plans to boost its spending on Infocomm technology to US$3.5 billion

There will be a huge boost in the government’s spending on ICT in its financial year as technology continues becoming increasingly important in our lives amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. In a press statement, the Government Technology Agency said that in this financial year, an estimate of US$3.5 billion would be used, up from US$2.7 […]

There will be a huge boost in the government’s spending on ICT in its financial year as technology continues becoming increasingly important in our lives amid the global COVID-19 pandemic.

In a press statement, the Government Technology Agency said that in this financial year, an estimate of US$3.5 billion would be used, up from US$2.7 billion used in the last financial year.

Among the projected spending this year will be some ICT projects introduced in response to COVID-19. Investment in technology has been essential in the government’s response to the coronavirus, the cause of the pandemic, said the media release.

For example, GovTech (Government Technology Agency) engineers put together an app for contact tracing. Also, they set up Mask Go Where, a website that guides citizens on where they can correct free masks. They also created the Support Go Where website where citizens can learn more on how and where to get funds and other benefits.

The press release added that the government would continue investing in technology in order to accelerate digitalization push in the country on a whole-of-nation level. These include artificial intelligence, development of digital services for businesses and citizens, continual migration of ICT systems onto the commercial cloud and developing applications within the government and across the industry.

Small and midsized businesses will be eligible to participate in 80% of the potential opportunities. Nearly 70% of the total ICT contracts were awarded to SMEs in the previous financial year.

GovTech has worked together with the Ministry of Finance to ensure that SMEs get access to these opportunities, the release stated. This includes incorporating bulkier tenders as well as dynamic contracting to help shorten the procurement process.

Typically, the Government’s ICT road map is announced at the annual Smart Nation and Digital Government industry briefing, but with the restrictions put in place in the fight against COVID-19, the information will be rolled out online. The information will include more details about the focus of the digitalization program as well as areas of projected spending.

GovTech is also recruiting both fresh graduates and experienced tech experts in its attempt to help in the overall tech push.

There are over 400 vacancies for digital business analysts, software engineers, AI engineers, cybersecurity experts, data scientists, and infrastructure specialists, among others.

Kok Ping Soon, GovTech chief executive, said that they are re-engineering their back-end digital infrastructure as we take on the new normal, noting that COVID-19 has illustrated the essence of digitalization.

“We hope that businesses, especially SMEs, will benefit from the larger pool and higher value of ICT procurement opportunities, work with us to build a smart nation and digital government, and emerge stronger from this crisis together,” he added.

Hot this week

Apple brings major upgrades to Powerbeats Pro 2 with iOS 26

Apple adds heart rate, fitness, and smart usability upgrades to Powerbeats Pro 2 with iOS 26, launching on 15 September.

How earables are evolving into health and lifestyle assistants

Earables are evolving beyond audio, offering health tracking, translation, and navigation—shaping new opportunities across Southeast Asia.

Apple launches iPhone 17 with brighter display, smarter cameras, and faster performance

Apple introduces the iPhone 17 in Singapore with smarter cameras, a brighter display, faster performance, and new trade-in offers.

Grammarly expands grammar support to Spanish, French and more languages

Grammarly now supports Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, and Italian, expanding its AI grammar tools to six core languages.

Borderlands 4 launches worldwide with new story and features

Borderlands 4 launches worldwide with new story, gameplay features, and editions for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Switch 2.

Biwin unveils Mini SSD, a tiny storage device that could replace microSD cards

Biwin launches Mini SSD, a tiny yet powerful storage device that could replace microSD cards if industry standards are adopted.

Apple brings major upgrades to Powerbeats Pro 2 with iOS 26

Apple adds heart rate, fitness, and smart usability upgrades to Powerbeats Pro 2 with iOS 26, launching on 15 September.

UltraGreen.ai secures US$188 million anchor investment at US$1.3 billion valuation

UltraGreen.ai secures US$188 million anchor investment led by 65EP, Vitruvian, and August, valuing the firm at US$1.3 billion.

ConnectingDNA launches AI-powered DNA wellness marketplace in Singapore

ConnectingDNA launches the world’s first AI-powered DNA wellness marketplace in Singapore, offering personalised health insights and secure data protection.

Related Articles

Popular Categories