Bridging the Digital Divide with eCitizen Helper

For Mr Nurddin Bin Barsin of Choa Chu Kang, looking out for the eCitizen Helper mascot will be the first thing he does whenever he visits the community club. The mascot signifies that eCitizen helpers are around the corner to assist him with government online services.

The eCitizen Helper mascot is the new look for the eCitizen Helper programme. It helps Singaporeans to identify the availability of eCitizen helper service at the clubs. There are currently 86 eCitizen Helper outlets located around Singapore and Singaporeans merely need to look out for the mascot on posters or banners to locate the outlets.

The eCitizen Helper programme is a cooperative effort between Ministry of Finance (MOF), Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and eCitizen Helper partners. The programme aims to provide locations for people to conduct electronic transactions with the government and seek assistance from helpers if they require someone to show them how to conduct their transactions.

With the eCitizen Helper programme, the government hopes to bridge the "Digital Divide," and allow more Singaporeans to enjoy government online services. In the past, one had to queue up to apply for an international passport or waiting in line to request for a CPF statement. That was time-consuming. However, with the growing number of government services online, one need no longer have to be physically present at an agency to request for such services. With the Internet, many of these activities can now be done online through the eCitizen portal, thus saving time for many.

 

Mr Nurddin is one person who has benefited from this programme. "I have no internet connection at home, so I don't get the chance to explore what services are on the net. However once I went down to the e-club I was able to use the internet. As I didn't know how to file my taxes on-line, there was someone on hand who was able to teach me how to do it. Since then I have been filing my taxes on line and life has become easier," he said

Such sentiments clearly show that the eCitizen Helper Programme is reaching out to people and making life easier when dealing with the government.

The participating organisations and companies in the programme include:

• eClubs (People's Association)
• Big Trumpet (NTUC Income)
• Office 1 (NTUC FairPrice)
• Retired & Senior Volunteer Programme (Singapore)
• NLB Regional and Community Libraries
• Singapore Post Centre at Eunos
• Kampong Glam Crawford Residents' Committee
• Fujifilm Digital Imaging

Some of the government e-services are:

• Application of Identity Card/ Passport
• Registration for National Service
• Application for exit permit for NS men
• Registration of a business
• Application of SingPass
• Application and renewal of dog license
• File notice of civil marriage
• Enquire about monthly instalment for an HDB flat
• Application for Digital Library Membership
• Request for CPF statement
• Book an appointment with SingHealth
• Renewal of TV/Radio license

For more information on the eCitizen Helper programme please log on to www.ecitizen.gov.sg/eCithelp/Intro.html