10 SINGAPORE NEWS
4 govt agencies get
upgraded to SOEasy
Recipients are MoF,
MICA, IDA, and NHB
and 71 more will get
the upgrade by 2010
By WINSTON CHAI
A NEW computer system
covered under a massive
$1.3 billion public sector
outsourcing contract is now
being deployed in four go-
vernment agencies and it
will be extended to 71 more
by next year, according to
the head of civil service Pe-
ter Ho.
The initial recipients of
the technology upgrade,
which includes new com-
puters, printers, smart
phones and software appli-
Start hiring older workers now: Boon Heng
By FELDA CHAY
MANY companies are still
not moving to hire workers
aged 55-64, even though
re-employment legislation
is set to take effect in 2012,
Minister in the Prime Minis-
cations, are: Ministry of Fi-
nance, Ministry of Informa-
tion, Communication and
the Arts, Infocomm Deve-
lopment Authority of Singa-
pore, and the National He-
ritage Board.
Unlike previous govern-
ment computer contracts
which tend to be agen-
cy-specific, the hardware
and software included in
the SOEasy (Standardised
Operating Environment) ini-
tiative will be rolled out
across the entire public sec-
tor with the exception of de-
fence-related bodies. A si-
milar tender covering
schools is now being
planned by the Ministry of
Education.
The first SOEasy project
ter’s Office Lim Boon Heng
said yesterday.
“My advice is: Don’t
wait, start working on it
now,” he said. “You have
only just over two years to
get ready.”
– the most expensive public
sector IT contract to date –
will replace disparate com-
puters and applications
with one common out-
sourced system.
This tender was award-
ed a consortium called One
Meridian last February, a
group led by Hewlett-Pack-
ard unit EDS. Local compa-
nies Singapore Telecommu-
nications and its IT services
arm NCS are also part of
the winning bid.
“The scope of the
SOEasy programme is ex-
tensive and extremely com-
plex. It is no trivial matter
to develop and implement
such an ambitious pro-
gramme that integrates the
ICT (infocomm technology)
Mr Lim was speaking at
a luncheon where the Hou-
sing & Development Board,
National Healthcare Group
(NHG) and Royal Plaza on
Scotts (RPS) were com-
mended for winning AARP
International Innovative
Employer Awards – an initi-
ative of US-based non-pro-
fit organisation AARP.
According to the Minis-
try of Manpower, Singa-
pore’s employment rate for
workers aged 55-64 is 57
per cent.
“So we still have a long
way to go to reach our tar-
get of 65 per cent by 2012,”
Mr Lim said.
When re-employment
legislation kicks in in Janu-
ary 2012, companies will
have to offer to keep wor-
Shared services platform for
charities, sports associations
By NISHA RAMCHANDANI
THE Ministry of Communi-
ty Development, Youth and
Sports (MCYS) is channel-
ling more than $3 million to
a project that will help cha-
rities, institutions of a pub-
lic character (IPCs) and na-
tional sports associations
(NSA) outsource their finan-
cial and accounts manage-
ment.
Dubbed iServe, the
shared services platform of-
fers accounting and finance
services such as billing and
monthly reports. But audits
will still have to be carried
out by third parties.
ST Electronics (e-Servi-
ces) was selected through
an open tender earlier to op-
erate iServe.
Speaking at the launch
event last night, Communi-
ty Development, Youth and
Sports Minister Vivian
Balakrishnan said: “Cur-
rently, board members, em-
ployees or volunteers may
have to wear several diffe-
rent hats to get the job
done.
By outsourcing some of
these functions, they can fo-
cus their full efforts on deli-
Task force suggests ways to
reduce crane accidents
By UMA SHANKARI
A TASK force set up to improve
crane operating safety has come up
with recommendations to reduce
deaths and injuries.
The National Crane Safety Task-
force – formed in July by the Minis-
try of Manpower (MOM) and the
Workplace Safety and Health Coun-
cil (WSHC) – reviewed 40 crane inci-
dents over the years and published
its findings in a report yesterday.
The number of crane-related ac-
cidents rose in 2008. There were
162 deaths, injuries and “dange-
needs of 75 government
agencies, involving 60,000
public officers deployed
over more than 800 loca-
tions,” Mr Ho said.
One Meridian has taken
over the computer systems
of 62 public sector agencies
since landing the contract.
“By the end of FY2010, all
75 government agencies
will be connected under
one common platform,” he
told reporters during a
project update yesterday.
Besides hoping to slash
technology costs with this
outsourced approach, the
SOEasy project aims to im-
prove worker efficiency by
equipping civil servants
with a raft of new technolo-
gies.
kers past retirement if they
are fit and capable – but not
necessarily in the same job
or on similar wages as be-
fore.
“The labour market in
Singapore is quite a small
one,” Mr Lim told reporters
at the event.
“Although we have not
got out of a recession as
yet, the labour market is
tightening.
“When we don’t have
enough workers, we should
look at the pool of people
who are not working.”
Firms should learn how
to implement age-friendly
practices from the three
companies that won AARP
awards, he said.
RPS, for instance, no
longer requires job appli-
vering core services and
programmes to beneficia-
ries, and further improve ef-
ficiency and effectiveness.”
For the three-year pilot
programme, MCYS is focus-
ing on charities, IPCs and
NSAs in the social services,
health and sports areas.
According to an MCYS
spokesman, there are
about 500 such outfits.
It hopes to have a third
of these organisations sign
up, although the pilot
scheme is also open to cha-
rities and IPCs from other
sectors.
So far, 10 organisations
have signed up for the pro-
gramme, which starts on
Oct 1. They include the Dis-
rous occurrences” – a 27 per cent in-
crease from 128 in 2007.
The task force’s report high-
lights factors that lead to crane inci-
dents – such as lack of proper train-
ing and safety procedures, failure
to follow safety rules, failure of com-
ponents, insufficient checks of
ground conditions, and inadequate
supervision and management.
Based on these factors, the task
force has made recommendations
and will embark on a push with
MOM and WSHC to improve crane
safety.
For example, govern-
ment employees will only
need to sign-in to their com-
puters once to access all
their applications such as
email and instant messa-
ging systems. They will also
able be able to retrieve
their desktops when work-
ing from another location.
In addition, a new Inter-
net-based communications
infrastructure will allow
them to enjoy additional
perks such as the ability to
route voicemails to their
email inboxes and make
video calls from their com-
puters.
“The public sector must
stay abreast of new technol-
ogies in order to remain
competitive,” Mr Ho said.
cants to put their age on ap-
plication forms. It also has
flexi-work arrangements
for older workers, who
work 22 hours a week in-
stead of 44.
NHG creates and re-de-
signs jobs for older wor-
kers, and like RPS, it has in-
troduced flexi-work for
them. Some 17 per cent of
its staff are aged 50 or old-
er, and its re-employment
rate is 85 per cent.
At HDB, employees aged
50 and above make up 35
per cent of the work force.
AARP selected 10 inter-
national winners for their
recruiting practices, em-
ployee benefits, scheduling
and retirement flexibility,
and training opportunities,
among other factors.
Dr Balakrishnan:
‘Currently, board
members, employees or
volunteers may have to
wear several different
hats to get the job
done.’
abled People’s Association
and Singapore Association
of the Visually Handi-
capped.
To defray costs, organi-
sations can tap funding
from the Voluntary Welfare
Organisations-Charities Ca-
pability Fund, through a 75
per cent subsidy of monthly
costs in the first year, 50
per cent in the second year
and 25 per cent in the third
year. Charges are based on
monthly transaction vo-
lume.
Separately, Philip-
pine-based non-profit or-
ganisation Gawad Kalinga
said yesterday that it has
formed a regional arm in
Singapore, GK Hope Initia-
tive (GKHi). GKHi, which
was registered in July as an
international charity organi-
sation, aims to meet huma-
nitarian and social needs.
Recommendations include im-
proving the content and delivery of
mandatory courses for lifting opera-
tions, enhancing outreach efforts to
management, crane manufacturers
and crane operators, developing a
risk register for lifting operations,
and reviewing codes of practice for
crane operations.
The task force will also explore
new technology to enhance safe lif-
ting and make recommendations to
the government on a possible re-
view of legislation.
Progress updates will be provi-
ded in early 2010.
Mr Tay: ‘We are beginning to see the country come out of its shell... The financial
crisis has opened up new opportunities for businesses too.’
Forum to open doors
for Russia, local firms
By LEE U-WEN
AS far as ease of doing busi-
ness goes, there is no con-
test between Singapore and
Russia.
Singapore tops the
World Bank index, while
the European giant is
ranked a lowly 120th. None-
theless, Russia is an
“emerging market” with
great potential, Singapore’s
former ambassador to Rus-
sia Michael Tay said yester-
day.
Speaking at a media
luncheon, Mr Tay, who is
now executive director of
the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (Apec) group –
of which Singapore and
Russia are members – said:
“We are beginning to see
the country come out of its
shell. It is putting law and
order and corporate govern-
ance in place. The financial
crisis has opened up new
opportunities for business-
es too.”
Mr Tay, who was ambas-
sador to Russia from 2003
to 2008, initiated the annu-
al Russia-Singapore Busi-
ness Forum (RSBF), which
is into its fourth year and
will be held at the
Shangri-la Hotel here later
this month.
Global investment in
Russia grew 13 per cent
last year, and the outlook
Manulife offers
wrap investment
platform here
It will charge annual
advisory fee for
3rd-party unit trusts
By GENEVIEVE CUA
INSURER Manulife has
launched Elite, a “wrap” in-
vestment platform, offering
third-party unit trusts and
charging an annual adviso-
ry fee.
It is believed to be the
first insurer to offer wrap
accounts.
Last week, Citibank
launched a wrap platform
for its high net worth Citi-
The Business Times, Friday, September 11, 2009
this year is optimistic. The
latest forecasts have the
Russian economy expan-
ding between 3.9 and 4.5
per cent in the second half
of 2009.
Against this backdrop,
the three-day forum is ex-
pected to boost ties be-
tween the two countries
and open up doors for new
business relationships. The
event – “Emerging from
Turbulence: New Economic
Opportunities” – will be at-
tended by more than 300
Russian top businessmen,
Singapore political and
business leaders and about
50 other business leaders
from Asia.
Senior Minister Goh
Chok Tong will deliver the
opening address on
Sept 29, while Minister
Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, who
has visited Russia several
times since 2005, will con-
duct the closing dialogue
that same day.
Other major speakers in-
clude Igor Shuvalov, first
Deputy Prime Minister of
the Russian Federation,
and Herman Gref, chair-
man and CEO of Sberbank,
the largest bank in Russia
and central Europe.
Mr Gref was responsible
for having Mr Lee’s mem-
oirs translated into Russian
and circulated.
gold clients – those with ac-
counts of between US$1 mil-
lion and US$10 million.
Wrap accounts typically
charge no loads for fund
purchases, making them an
efficient platform for those
who would like to trade.
Clients are charged an
annual advisory fee. At
Manulife, this ranges from
0.5 to 2 per cent per annum
at the adviser’s discretion.
Manulife’s move is an at-
tempt to capture a bigger
share of its clients’ cash.
Senior vice-president of
wealth management Nick
Czolak said: “With an in-
vestment-linked product,
the focus is on the protec-
tion element.
If you don’t need insu-
rance, you go to another
provider. Now, you can
stay with us and buy a rea-
sonably priced investment
product. We’re broadening
our products to compete
with banks and indepen-
dent financial advisers.”
Mr Czolak reckons as-
sets on the platform could
grow to $1.2 billion in three
years.
For a start, there are 17
funds on the platform, man-
aged by seven asset manag-
ers, including Manulife As-
set Management, Schro-
ders, MFC Global and Aber-
deen. Eventually, the plat-
form will carry 40 funds.
The firm has 1,200 ad-
visers, about half of them li-
censed investment advis-
ers.
TAN LAI HOCK/LIANHE ZAOBAO
Mr Tay said that four
years ago it was next to im-
possible to attract Singa-
pore companies to Russia
because of frequent com-
plaints that the country was
expensive to operate in – be
it for property, entertain-
ment, dining out and over-
all business costs.
But according to the RS-
BF organising council,
more Singapore-based busi-
nesses have expressed in-
terest in doing business in
Russia in sectors, such as
automotive, hospitality, in-
focomm technology and re-
tailing. Companies that
have made forays into Rus-
sia include Keppel Offshore
and Marine, Mil-Com and
Prima Food.
Likewise, Russian com-
panies are showing keen in-
terest in setting up shop in
Singapore. Mr Tay said
that Sberbank is conside-
ring opening an office here
“in the short to medium
term”.
Singapore’s trade with
Russia doubled from $1.9
billion in 2007 to $3.8 bil-
lion last year.
Russia is Singapore’s
30th largest trading part-
ner. In the first six months
of this year, bilateral trade
hit $1.5 billion, a 28 per
cent increase compared
with the same period in
2008.
NAC senior
director to
step down
after 18 yrs
THE National Arts Coun-
cil’s senior director for per-
forming arts and director
for the Singapore Art Festi-
val is calling it a day after
18 years.
Goh Ching Lee will leave
on Oct 8, the NAC said yes-
terday. Since the inception
of NAC in 1991, Ms Goh
has been involved heavily
in its arts development and
promotion.
Her main portfolio has
been the development of na-
tional and international
events in the performing,
visual and literary arts.
Over the last decade,
Ms Goh has developed the
Singapore Arts Festival into
a national celebration of
the arts, bringing interna-
tional acts and Singapore
talents to the stage. This
year’s festival achieved the
highest ticketed attendance
since 1986, with an audi-
ence totalling 800,000.
Ms Goh has also been ac-
tive in fostering cultural
agreements, international
cultural exchanges, and in-
ternational promotion of
Singapore arts and artists.
Since 2005, she has
played a pivotal role in de-
veloping Singapore Season,
a programme which show-
cases Singapore’s arts and
creative capital overseas,
most recently in Scotland
this year.
Ms Goh says that she
plans to use her hiatus to
“explore other personal in-
terests and opportunities,
and to find a new mode of
working”.
NAC has yet to an-
nounce Ms Goh’s succes-
sor.