Singapore – Minister for Communications and Information S.Iswaran has said that the ministry intends to enable every Singaporean to thrive in a digital society (Aug 26).

In the addendum to the Presidents Address, he said: “We will ensure that all Singaporeans have a baseline level of affordable digital access and skills, especially vulnerable groups such as low income seniors and families”.

He also announced that the National Library Board (NLB) will be playing an important role in this. Apart from having expanded its focus beyond “promoting reading to preparing Singaporeans for a digital future”, NLB will also “roll out a five-year Libraries and Archives Plan in the first quarter of 2021.”

Access of NLB services for segments of society like the working professionals will also be improved. These individuals require “more curated resources for learning and skills development”, said Mr Iswaran.

The Ministry of Communications and Information also has other plans to enable Singaporeans to be more well-equipped for a digital society.

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Some of these plans include:

  • Equipping Singaporeans with media literacy skills through the expansion of the reach and impact of public campaigns
  • Collaborating with academia, industry and other partners to strengthen R&D and translation capabilities
  • Strengthening cybersecurity for Singapore’s Critical Information Infrastructure

You may read the full addendum to the Presidents Address here or view the plans of the Ministry of Communications and Information here. -/TISG