Good Practices and Innovations in Public Governance 2003-2011

Good Practices and InnovATIONS in Public Governance
having signed up by the end of the Progress Package exercise in December 2006.
This translated to more than S$2 billion being disbursed to the intended beneficiaries.
In particular, the Workfare Bonus Scheme benefited more than 340,000 low-income
Singaporean workers, who improved their per capita income by up to 12.5% in 2006.
The Progress Package had also encouraged wealthier Singaporeans to help less welloff
members of society through an online donation portal, with a total of more than
$800,000 being donated to various charities. Thus, the Progress Package and Workfare
Bonus Scheme represents a paradigm shift in policy objectives, structure and
delivery to citizens. The four key achievements are listed below.
• Policy: A New Concept for Surplus Sharing: A new three-tiered allotment criteria
that accounts for income, wealth and age of a person was designed to
better target the distribution of monies so that older and poorer Singaporeans
would receive more, as compared to previous surplus sharing programmes.
Also, for the first time, a surplus sharing programme that rewards regular and
productive work was rolled out.
• Product: A Transformation of Administration: The Progress Package consolidated
six different programmes into one umbrella package through harmonizing
eligibility criteria, sign-up processes and by providing a common government
touch point (website, email address and phone line). Almost all eligible
beneficiaries were determined automatically based on the administrative records,
for greater convenience to beneficiaries. Singaporeans only interacted
with one government agency (the Central Provident Fund Board or CPFB) to
benefit from all the programmes. Each citizen received: A single notification
letter listing all his benefits under the various programmes; a single sign-up
application through one interface; a single sum credited into the bank account
of his choice or a check.
• Service Delivery: A Socially Inclusive and Equitable Outreach to Vulnerable
Groups: The citizen-government transaction was simplified to increase the outreach
of the surplus sharing exercise to the populace, especially vulnerable
Singaporeans. Eligibility requirements that proved to be barriers to entry in
previous surplus sharing exercises were removed, e.g., required cash contributions
to individual pension accounts. Outreach programmes were designed for
groups who were expected to be less aware of the Progress Package, e.g., the
elderly and illiterate.
• Public Accountability – A Fair and Transparent Appeals Process: To ensure
fairness in treatment and clear public accountability, the government devised
and documented detailed appeal guidelines to process public appeals.
Service centres across the island were established to handle the appeals
promptly and efficiently.
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