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Government
Main article: Singapore Government
Safety system
2022: Creation of a cyber intelligence service
On March 2, 2022, it became known about the creation of the Digital Technology and Intelligence Service (DIS) in Singapore to combat growing cyber threats. Read more here.
Population
Migration
2021: Net population inflow in 4 years
Marriages
Allowed to have more than one spouse
Average growth
Welfare
2023: More than $5 million - the threshold for entering the number of the 1% richest people in the country
Son
2018: Average sleep duration 6 hours 51 minute
Education
Main article: Education in Singapore
Health care
Main article: Healthcare in Singapore
Economy
Main article: Economy of Singapore
Digital economy
2024: AI startups from China migrate to Singapore to access foreign technology and capital
Chinese AI startups are heading to Singapore in search of global growth. Their founders are attracted by access to foreign capital and technology. It is difficult for young AI companies to enter the global market from China. Equally important for the AI startup is that, in a politically neutral island nation, they can buy Nvidia's latest chips and other advanced technology, something that would not be possible in China because of American export controls.
2023
Singapore creates ChatGPT counterpart for civil servants
On July 18, 2023, Singapore authorities announced the development of a chatbot called Pair based on artificial intelligence for government employees. We are talking about creating a large language model similar to the one that underlies ChatGPT. Read more here.
Generative AI and unmanned vehicles. Singapore has developed an IT roadmap
In early June 2023, Singapore announced the development of a long-term program to develop the IT industry. Among the priority areas are generative artificial intelligence, unmanned vehicles, data centers (data centers) and advanced communication systems.
As Josephine Teo, head of the Singapore Ministry of Information, Communications and Art, noted, the roadmap defines development areas for a ten-year period. The plan covers both physical resources, for example, data center infrastructure and high-speed information transmission lines, as well as modern digital services, including electronic payments, authentication tools, etc. The developed program is expected to allow Singapore to more effectively use the capabilities of modern technologies.
One of the key areas of work will be a tenfold increase in the bandwidth of broadband connections (broadband access). About 98% of households in Singapore have Internet broadband access connection - usually at 1 Gbps. The goal is to bring the figure to 10 Gbps by 2028. This should be facilitated by the development of Wi-Fi 6E and 5G networks.
The implementation of the program will require huge financial investments. Thus, the total costs in the segment of data centers and new underwater Internet channels are estimated at $14.8 billion. Moreover, about half of this amount can be spent on the construction of environmentally friendly data centers of the next generation. The laying of new fiber optic lines will contribute to the development of digital communication between Singapore, Southeast Asia and other regions. The bulk of the investment is expected to come from the private sector. Other areas of work include quantum computing, cloud platforms and information security tools.[1]
Singapore government launches private cloud to develop state projects in the field of AI
On 31 May 2023, the Monetary Credit Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with cloud platform Google Cloud. The cooperation provides for the joint development of advanced solutions based on generative artificial intelligence. In addition, the AI Government Cloud Cluster (AGCC) platform has been launched - a private cloud for deploying state projects in the field of AI. Read more here.
2022
Digital economy provided Singapore with 17% of GDP
In 2022, the digital economy provided Singapore with more than 17% of gross domestic product (GDP). For comparison, in 2017, this figure was estimated at 13%. Such figures are given on October 6, 2023 in the report of the Singapore regulator in the field of information and communication technologies and media (IMDA).
In monetary terms, the contribution of the digital economy to the GDP of the city-state in 2022 reached 106 billion Singapore dollars (approximately $77.81 billion at the exchange rate as of October 12, 2023). This is almost twice as much in relation to 2017, when the result was 58 billion Singapore dollars ($42.57 billion).
The digital economy in Singapore is divided into two parts: the information and communication sector and digitalization in other areas. The first of the designated segments in 2022 accounted for a third of the digital economy: telecommunications, programming, IT consulting, cloud computing and software development. Another two-thirds provided other areas: this includes investments of companies in digital technologies that create any value, for example, expand the audience of customers, optimize business processes, and promote the introduction of innovative products and services.
 | The growth of the digital economy is due to the increased use of digital technologies by enterprises, which, in turn, contributes to a steady increase in the number of IT jobs, the IMDA report says. |  |
It is estimated that the level of adoption of digital technologies by companies and organizations in Singapore has risen from 74% in 2018 to 94% in 2022. At the same time, the number of technical specialists in the country increased from 155,500 in 2017 to 201,100 in 2022. In general, as noted, Singapore's digital economy is growing steadily, and its long-term prospects remain positive.[2]
Singapore has developed a remote plant care system
About 7 million trees grow on the island of Singapore, and 6 million of them are managed using a monitoring system. This became known on November 28, 2022. The Singapore National Parks Authority (NParks) monitors about 6 million trees so that foresters can manage them using a mobile application as soon as the trees reach a certain size. Read more here.
Drone delivery service launched in Singapore
On February 13, 2022, ST Engineering announced the launch of the DroNet platform for the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in order to deliver cargo from shore to a ship in Singapore. Partners in this project were Sumitomo Corporation and Skyports. Read more here.
2019
For lying on the Internet in Singapore, they decided to jail for 10 years
At the end of November 2019, a law on punishment for lying on the Internet came into force in Singapore. Now spreading false information online can lead to up to 10 years in prison. Critics of the law believe that such restrictions can finally suppress freedom of speech in an already tightly controlled city-state.
Under the False Conduct and Manipulation Online Protection Bill, it is forbidden to disseminate "false information" in circumstances in which this information is deemed to be "detrimental to Singapore's security, public safety, public calm or Singapore's friendly relations with other countries."
The government independently decides what counts as false news and how to deal with it. They could also order big tech companies like Facebook and Google - both opposed to the bill during its fast-track passage process - to block accounts or sites that spread false information.
The law also provides for the prosecution of persons who can be fined up to $36,000 or punished with imprisonment of up to 5 years. If the news is published using an "inauthentic account or under bot control," the total fine rises to $73,000, and the prison term is up to 10 years. Companies found guilty of spreading "knowingly false news" could be fined up to $735,000.
Human rights groups and lawyers have repeatedly warned that such a bill could be abused and stifle free speech. Although the law is aimed primarily at controlling the content of Singapore news, indirectly it can affect the international media with representative offices in this city.[3]
Any company can now become an electronic bank in Singapore
At the end of June 2019, Singapore announced the start of issuing licenses to virtual banks. The innovation should attract non-banking organizations to the financial sector and contribute to the development of the digital economy in the country.
First, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) will issue five licenses. Two of them will be received by bank service providers to consumers, three by companies providing services to small and medium-sized businesses, as well as other non-retail customers.
The regulator will begin accepting applications in August 2019. To obtain a digital bank license, the company must be registered in Singapore and have its headquarters there. Foreign businesses can also rely on a license, but only if a joint venture with a local firm is established.
Applicants should have experience in the e-commerce, IT or finance sectors. In addition, they must provide a sustainable digital banking business model.
Telecommunications operator Singtel, taxi ordering service Grab and gaming equipment manufacturer Razer have expressed a desire to consider submitting applications for a digital bank license.
The MAS said the new market entrants will help reach poorly served segments while also pushing current players to improve their digital services.
| | The new digital bank licences mark the next chapter in Singapore's history of banking liberalization. I am sure that local banks will not give up their positions in the face of new competition, - said the Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore Tarman Shanmugaratnam (Tharman Shanmugaratnam) at the annual dinner of the Association of Banks of Singapore. | |
Before the introduction of new licenses, only the banks themselves could create virtual banks. MAS has long raised the question of what to provide the opportunity to provide digital banking services to a wider range of companies.[4]
QR code instead of passport. How Singapore is digitalizing and how much it spends on it
At the end of May 2019, the Singapore government announced the introduction of a tool that will allow local companies to verify the identity of the user and transfer data using QR codes. With this platform, dubbed SG-Verify, citizens can simply scan a QR code using their SingPass Mobile app to share the information they need with organizations. The SG-Verify platform is one of several programs the government plans to roll out in 2019 as part of Singapore's digitalisation. In total, five programs in the field of information and communication technologies are planned for this fiscal year.
For example, the National Digital Identification (NDI) program will serve as a common digital certificate for Singapore citizens operating in the public and private sector. Businessmen can use NDI to create new services and improve the quality of service for users, as well as to strengthen the security of existing services. Government Technology Agency (GovTech), Singapore's government agency, is responsible for all such ICT initiatives.
GovTech is also working on a suite of technologies that would enable public sector institutions to efficiently and reliably develop and implement digital services. Such a platform should become the digital basis for interchangeable and scalable microservices and will function along with commercial cloud applications. It will allow the government to quickly provide digital services to both citizens and enterprises. In addition, the nationwide platform will allow the collection and analysis of data on the economic situation in the country and help government agencies adequately predict events and respond to changes.
Among other things, GovTech is promoting a pilot project, "Lamppost as a Platform," to be held in the third quarter of 2019 in northern Singapore and Geylang District. In this project, lamp posts will be used to connect and power various sensors, including air quality and noise control, as well as cameras for detecting and counting personal mobile devices in public places.
GovTech noted that more than 60% of the value of ICT tenders in the public sector were for the development of digital services, with 80% of contracts awarded to small and medium-sized businesses. GovTech said it was working with the Treasury to make it easier for these organisations to work with the government. Among other things, they plan to create a new model for the development of industry so that government agencies can attract the private sector to develop ICT projects. In addition, a dynamic award of contracts for upcoming mass tenders is introduced, thanks to which companies have more opportunities to join the existing supplier community.
The government has allocated $2.5-2.7 billion to finance ICT projects for fiscal 2019. GovTech noted that in 2018, citizens' satisfaction with the government's digital services increased from 73% to 78%, while business satisfaction with such services increased from 64% to 69%. The findings come in an annual survey conducted to assess the top 20 digital public services in Singapore. At a personal meeting and by phone, more than 1,500 citizens and 1,600 enterprises were interviewed.
Release of national standards for self-driving cars
In early February 2019, Singapore issued national standards for self-driving cars designed to control the production and information security of such vehicles. Read more here.
2018
Banning Android set-top boxes
In November 2018, the Singapore High Court issued a ruling requiring ISPs to block access to apps in set-top boxes that allow watching movies, TV and sports broadcasts. Mainly we are talking about consoles on the Android TV platform. Read more here.
Data leak of 1.5 million citizens from the health care system
On July 20, 2018, it became known about a major cyber attack on the Singapore health care system. As a result of the hacker attack, a database of 1.5 million people was stolen, including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Read more here.
Automobile traffic
Singapore is a left-hand country.
Crime
Prisons
2022: The minimum age for children to be jailed is 8
2018: Number of prisoners per 100 thousand citizens
Sport
2022: The most popular sport is football
in
History
2018: Ban on new private car sales due to risk of transport collapse
In January 2018, it became known about the ban on sales of new private cars in Singapore. Thus, the country's leadership is trying to prevent the threat of transport collapse, due to which ecology suffers and road traffic slows down.
Roads account for 12% of Singapore's total land area, while the 719-square-kilometer city-state has approximately 907,000 vehicles by the end of January 2018, including about 612,000 private vehicles. The Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) believes this is more than enough - since February 2018, registration of new private cars and motorcycles has been banned.
This means that the only way to get a new car in Singapore will be to revoke the registration of the old vehicle. To buy a new car, Singaporeans need to obtain a special certificate valid for ten years.
The number of certificates issued is determined primarily by how many older cars have been deregistered, and previously this figure was supplemented by a reserve for the growth of the number of vehicles - until the end of January 2018, this figure was 0.25% of the total number of cars in Singapore (as of 31 December 2016) per year, bringing an additional 576 vehicles to Singapore for 2017.
| | Given the area restrictions in Singapore and our commitment to continuously improving the public transport system, we decided to reduce the growth rate of the number of vehicles from 0.25% per year to 0% for private cars and motorcycles, - The existing growth rate of 0.25% per year for the category of freight vehicles and buses will remain unchanged until 2021 - this will allow the company to prepare for a new situation, the LTA said in a statement. | |
The road regulator believes that this decision will not "significantly affect the consideration of certificates" for several years, in addition, the LTA plans to revise the order depending on the situation in 2020.[6]
1942: Japanese capture of Singapore
Main article: World War II
Calendar
Notes
- ↑ Singapore creates digital blueprint for generative AI and autonomous systems
- ↑ Singapore’s digital economy – from e-commerce to social media – nearly doubled in five years
- ↑ Singapore 'fake news' law comes into force, offenders face fines and prison time
- ↑ Singtel, Grab and Razer to study feasibility of applying for digital banking licence
- ↑ Singapore to launch QR identity verification tool for businesses
- ↑ No additional new cars for Singapore
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