Speeches
Speech by Minister Chan Chun Sing at Spark: Public Service Festival Opening 2025
8 July 2025
Speech by Mr Chan Chun Sing, Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister-in-charge of the Public Service, at Spark: Public Service Festival Opening on 8 July 2025, One Punggol
Transforming Public Service for SG60 and Beyond
Good afternoon to all of you here at One Punggol and colleagues online.
This year is a special occasion for all of us. It is SG60. As with such occasions, we always commemorate by looking back at how far we have come, to understand why we are here, and chart out what we are going to face in the years ahead.
Our Journey Over the Past 60 Years
Over the past 60 years, the Public Service has contributed much to Singapore’s survival and success. Today, we have a Public Service that we can all be proud of. We are highly regarded across the world, and have won many accolades.
Our journey from survival to success has been built on three enduring qualities shared by all generations of Public Service officers:
a. First, our boldness in pioneering new paths;
b. Second, our relentless pursuit of excellence in execution; and
c. Third, our unwavering commitment to values and Singapore's long-term interests.
These three qualities have seen us through key moments in our history.
a. Boldness, for example, shaped our nation’s foundations in the 1960s and 1970s. Then, the Jurong Town Corporation (JTC) made the unprecedented move to turn swampland into industrial parks. The Economic Development Board (EDB) ventured overseas to attract multinational corporations to invest in an untested nation; we went on an export driven path when others went for import substitution. We built up the Central Provident Fund (CPF), Housing & Development Board (HDB), National Service and many other key institutions that continue to define the way we live and earn our keep in the world. These are all examples of the pioneering spirit by our previous generations. We did not just ask the question: What has been done elsewhere? We asked ourselves: What new paths must we chart to meet our own needs? This is one question we must continue to ask ourselves every day. When there are no solutions, we must be bold enough to develop new solutions for ourselves, and have the conviction to see them through.
b. In the pursuit of excellence in the 1980s and 1990s, this made the crucial difference between success and failures. Many people have good ideas, but good and consistent execution with conviction is not so easily achieved. The pursuit of excellence depends on a number of factors: (a) consistency in execution; (b) vigilance to foresee potential problems; and (c) constant fine-tuning to improve things even before they break. These attributes were exemplified in how we built our infrastructure — from flats to roads, from implementing CPF, to education and defence policies, and many others.
c. More recently in 2000s, we shifted and placed greater emphasis in working together as One Public Service, anchored on the basic concept of delivering our services from the citizens’ perspective — citizen-centricity. What we saw during COVID-19, where all our agencies were able to work seamlessly together, was not by chance. Our ability to work together as One Public Service was honed through years of working day in and day out as One Public Service, with constant fine-tuning and continually challenging ourselves to do better across conventional Ministry or agency boundaries, to think of the bigger picture and how we can optimise at the macro-level, in service of our people and nation. This collaborative spirit is not something that we should take for granted.
d. When I meet my counterparts from overseas, they often share that while they have the same ideas to deliver services across different agencies as a Public Service, it was not easily achievable. While systems and processes can change, what was most important and needed to change was the mindset to think as One Public Service rather than just to change the systems and processes.
Our New Reality: Navigating Complex Changes
We are now entering a new phase of nation building and fundamental shifts have emerged in the world. Let me share three challenges that we are confronting as One Public Service.
Tightening Constraints
a. First, tightening constraints — from manpower to budget and carbon. By 2030, one in four Singaporeans will be over 65, up from one in 40 in 1965. This ageing will more than triple our healthcare spending from what we spent just 10 years ago in 2015, and this will tighten our fiscal space considerably. Then, there is climate change, which has introduced carbon budget as a new constraint for us to manage. Many of these constraints are interconnected, and therefore the solutions need to be developed holistically and across different silos, achieving different trade-offs across different domains.
Rising Expectations
b. Second, public expectations are rising. Today, when you take out your phone to order a meal via an online delivery platform, we are able to do it with a few clicks. This is what Singaporeans have become used to. When Singaporeans transact with the Government and use Government services, they expect no less, if not better. We will have to rise to the occasion. But unlike subscribing to commercial services and the convenience that comes with it, Singaporeans also have rising expectations on how they can participate in the process and partner us in the solutions. This is a good thing as it means there are opportunities for us to leverage the capabilities and capacities of Singaporeans in general. However, this requires us to rethink and rework our processes so that we can embrace such forthcoming contributions.
c. Businesses are similarly restructuring and reinventing their operations more aggressively in the face of major economic disruptions. What we need to do for citizens, we will also need to do for businesses — making services more integrated and more seamless. These are also areas the businesses are looking out for when they transact with the Government. The expectations of businesses are similarly high. They will benchmark us not just by how well we have done compared to the past. They will also benchmark us by how well we are doing compared to many other jurisdictions.
Intensifying Competition
d. Third, Singapore faces intensifying global competition. Today, we can be proud that we are amongst the top in many of the global indices such as quality of life, quality of Government services and so forth. But we must be honest with ourselves that there are many jurisdictions in different fields which have perhaps overtaken us in certain areas, and there are many things that we can learn from them. For example, Estonia has become the first country to fully digitise its Government services. China serves over a billion citizens with artificial intelligence (AI)-powered services. Our ASEAN neighbours are also making strides in digital innovation. So, for us, standing still is not an option.
These are not just challenges that we must overcome — they are calls to action for us to continue to hone what we have done well, to keep improving so that we can stay ahead of the curve and competition to give Singapore and Singaporeans the best chance to attract investments which will create good jobs and pay good wages.
I have often shared that my greatest concern is that we become complacent. Success must not become the albatross for our future. We must be keenly aware that with today’s disruptive technologies, many countries that were previously deemed to be behind us can leapfrog what we have achieved over many years. Look at the adoption of mobile services. The countries that have adopted mobile services most aggressively and achieved some of the best results are paradoxically the same countries that not too many years ago were seen as the laggards in the adoption of fixed line telecommunications. There is no room for us to be complacent.
Our Path Forward
So, what must we do as we take Singapore towards SG100? I think we need to double down on what we have done well, and that is to continue to innovate with citizens at the centre of all that we do.
(I) Innovating as One Public Service with Citizens
Our first priority is to take One Public Service further.
Think about going to visit a doctor today and imagine what we will encounter. Nobody enjoys going to the doctors and having to be asked the same questions over and over again. Everyone expects to tell the doctor once, and the record to be shared across different agencies. This is the same standards we expect across all agencies.
We have good examples of what we have done. Not too long ago, when you approached the social service agencies for help, you probably had to repeat your story over and over again. We also had the problem of some Singaporeans being over-served and some people being under-served. Today, with the Social Service Net (SSNet), we have pulled many of our services together to be much more seamless for those who need help.
Likewise, we have ServiceSG, including right here at One Punggol. We brought together 600 services from over 25 agencies under one roof. Today, when a senior citizen visits ServiceSG for housing assistance, our officers can help to address related needs like healthcare subsidies and social support, eliminating multiple trips to different agencies.
For businesses, we have also established integrated platforms like GoBusiness which serves as our one-stop platform for businesses to apply for licenses seamlessly. Today, approximately 200 licenses across 26 agencies (around 50 per cent of total licenses) are on GoBusiness. From this year, businesses can also connect with the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) Pro-Enterprise Office for support on cross-cutting regulatory matters. For residents, we formed the Municipal Services Office to coordinate responses to estate maintenance issues.
All these are examples where we have done well, but it also shows that there is scope to go even further. For example, I mentioned that around 50 per cent of total licenses are on GoBusiness. This means that we can continue to improve with another 50 per cent.
Working as One Public Service is not just about processes and procedures. It is also how we train and develop our own service personnel to think One Public Service. The mindset is the most important. With the correct mindset, we will be able to run the new processes seamlessly.
(II) Optimising at the Whole-of-Government Level
With the tightening constraints that we are facing, our second priority is to optimise at the Whole-of-Government level. It is not enough to optimise within our respective agencies. We have to constantly look for new opportunities to work together and use the resources that we have to achieve the maximum good for our people and country.
Look at One Punggol where we are today. We have a swimming pool, library, ServiceSG and many more. But was it easy to build One Punggol or Our Tampines Hub? At the beginning, it was not easy. It required us to develop new processes for different agencies to come and work together, to synchronise their requirements, and sometimes to make compromises to deconflict their needs in order for us to optimise resources. Imagine if we had done it differently, and each agency continued to only do things for themselves. It would have cost us much more. It would have required much more land. But most importantly, our service delivery would be fragmented, and what the public sees and enjoys will also be fragmented. Beyond Our Tampines Hub and One Punggol, there are many other projects that we can learn from to optimise at the Whole-of-Government level.
Let me give another example. Previously, when it came to land planning, our instincts were to have our own project. But increasingly, I am encouraged to see more and more agencies asking how we can come together – not just to save money and land – but how we can deliver an experience for the public that is much more seamless and integrated. This is the direction we need to take — looking at the big picture and not just at our own agency’s interest. The tighter our resource constraints going forward, the more we need to think broader and integrate our work and resource expenditure so that we can achieve greater bang for buck.
(III) Developing Our Teams for Tomorrow
Our third priority is about people — how we take care of our people and train our people to achieve all this. When we take care of our people, our people will take care of our mission.
Our mission is to take care of Singapore and Singaporeans for generations to come. Earlier this year at the Committee of Supply Debate, I spoke about ramping up efforts to help our officers build their career resilience and agility across different life stages. Today, I am pleased to share that we are launching a Career Fitness Movement to help all officers raise their career health by bringing together three pillars.
Equipping our People and Teams
a. First, we will equip individual officers to be more career fit and teams to be more resilient.
b. A new series of Career Fitness training programmes will be launched from July 2025 to equip all individual officers with the skills and mindset to navigate across different career life stages. These Career Fitness programmes build on recent efforts to shift towards competencies in the Public Service.
c. We are also stepping up efforts to build stronger leadership teams, not just individuals. As we scale the use of 360 feedback, we are bringing together officers with deep domain expertise alongside those with broad policy experience to create diverse teams capable of addressing complex challenges. This intentional mixing of perspectives helps us spot blind spots and develop more robust solutions. The composition of a robust, resilient and diverse team is a leadership responsibility that all of us have to undertake.
Enabling Coaches and Supervisors
d. Second, we are strengthening our support systems to ensure officers and teams do not walk this journey alone.
e. Our enhanced network of career coaches – experienced public officers who understand the challenges of public service – will provide personalised guidance at every career stage to fellow public officers.
f. We are also equipping our supervisors and leaders with foundational career coaching skills and tools to conduct meaningful development conversations with their officers.
Empowering Systems and Processes
g. Third, we are building systems and processes to better empower officers and teams to own their development and careers.
h. A new LEARN platform was launched in May and will have features progressively added so that it becomes a 24/7 learning hub where officers can access a comprehensive suite of digital learning anytime, anywhere.
i. The One Talent Gateway platform will also be scaled to most of the Public Service by the end of this year. This will be a 24/7 personal career buddy that helps officers to identify their competency gaps and explore an expanded array of career development opportunities aligned with their aspirations. This includes Structured Job Rotations (SJR) and our Talent Attachment Programme (TAP) beyond the Public Service. Last year alone, over 5,000 officers participated in short-term attachments, gigs, and job rotations. Another 1,200 officers developed skills while doing good through the Public Service For Good movement.
Together, these three pillars create a holistic movement to empower our officers to strengthen and extend their career longevity. This in turn will build the workforce resilience of the Public Service. When each officer has the support and opportunities they need to grow, our collective ability to serve Singapore grows as well. This is how we will ensure our Public Service remains dynamic, resilient, and ready for tomorrow's challenges. This is also how we can continue to attract a fair share of the talent pool to join us in service of our nation.
Looking Ahead: Creating Our Shared Future
Looking ahead, these three priorities — (i) Innovating as One Public Service with Citizens, (ii) Optimising at the Whole-of-Government Level and (iii) Developing our Teams for Tomorrow — form an integrated strategy to tackle the challenges of the future. One Public Service provides the foundation. Whole-of-Government optimisation maximises our scarce resources. People development ensures we have the capabilities to deliver on our ambitions.
But strategies do not transform organisations — people do. We will require people at every level to take action.
Leaders must create environments where innovation can flourish and teams can thrive. As the Coordinating Minister for Public Services, my priority is to help build a Public Service where agencies come together, facilitate trade-offs and ensure timely decisions that translate into better experiences for both citizens and businesses. Our aim is not to have an added layer like a joint staff. Our aim is for every agency to be ready and able to take the lead as first amongst equals when called upon. The hallmark of a good leader is not how well you can defend your agency interests, but how well you can bring people and agencies together to optimise for the greater good at the Whole-of-Government level. Hence, my personal Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is not how many projects I have coordinated or will need to coordinate across public agencies, but how much we build a culture of everyone thinking of how we can optimise at the Whole-of-Government level beyond our respective agency, and how able we are to self-synchronise. The less I need to intervene to coordinate, the prouder I am of our Public Service.
For those of you who have attended my meetings, you will see the following pattern. First, we identify the problem, then we identify all the agencies that have a stake in resolving those issues. Thereafter, we look for one agency to take the lead while the rest of the agencies support the lead agency. For different problems, different agencies will take the lead. For us to operate without a joint staff, it will require all leaders at every agency to think Whole-of-Government — that when I perform the role as the lead across different agencies, I am doing it on behalf of the Whole-of-Government and not just my agency. This is the culture and spirit that I hope to drive going forward so that we can continue to have a coordinated and integrated Public Service. This will keep the Public Service lean so that we can deploy forward to serve our people and our country, instead of deploying these resources for internal bureaucratic coordination.
But for this to succeed is not just about me having this vision. I need your help and participation to always remember that you are a leader in your own right, and you have the responsibility to lead the Whole-of-Government effort in different domains for different challenges. It is not just about me as your Minister, or the Head of Civil Service (HCS) or one or two Permanent Secretaries having to tackle this role. The power of the Public Service comes from the fact that each and every one of you can be the person to take on the first amongst equals role. It is equally important to understand that even though we may not be the lead in a particular issue, we must still do our part to support whoever is leading, because we will all take turns to be the lead for different problems. So, I hope all our leaders and supervisors will embrace this spirit, take care of our people and help them grow in their roles — individually in their agencies and collectively as a Whole-of-Government.
Conclusion
Let me end with a reflection on trust. The trust Singaporeans place in us is not inherited. It is earned — earned by generations of dedicated public officers who came before us; earned through countless moments where we put Singapore and Singaporeans’ interests first. This trust is both our greatest privilege and our heaviest responsibility.
But trust is not static. It must be renewed and strengthened. How? This goes beyond improving processes or adopting new technologies. Trust is earned every time we dare to do something different for a better Singapore. Every barrier we break down, every service we improve, every innovation we create — they all serve this larger purpose of building trust with not just this generation, but with future generations of Singaporeans.
This is why your role matters more than ever. Whether you are reimagining how we serve citizens and businesses, developing tomorrow's leaders, or driving systemic change — you are writing Singapore's next chapter.
The qualities that guided our pioneers must continue to guide us: (i) boldness in pioneering new paths; (ii) relentless pursuit of excellence in execution; and (iii) unwavering commitment to values and focus on Singapore's long-term interests. These are not just words from our past — these are our compass for tomorrow.
Lastly, I want to thank you for your service to the nation and encourage you to continue to be bold in re-imagining how our Public Service can be. I hope that in the future, you will be able to recall many proud moments when you have innovated, optimised and taken care of people. So at SG100, we can look back and say that this generation has continued to keep the Singaporean Spirit alive, defy the odds and chart our own way forward, unshackled by the history of the past, undaunted by the challenges, and ever imaginative in thinking about what we can achieve.
We may be ordinary people, but together as a team, we will achieve extraordinary things for Singapore and Singaporeans.
Thank you.