A forward-looking government must continuously anticipate and welcome change, and harness the forces of change in the global environment. The Government must deliver services in a responsive and timely way.

E-government is the Public Service's response to the increasing pervasiveness of ICT or info-communications technology. The advent of ICT has triggered rising public expectations of service standards. We are leveraging on ICT to build an e-government for the 21st century, and put government services as well as intra-government transactions online.

E-government will be a major transformation in the delivery of government services. The government will be able to provide services faster, more efficiently, and in a more convenient way. By the end of 2001, nearly two-thirds of all government services will be available online in some form or other, making them accessible 24 hours a day.

However, all these will be wasted time and energy if the public does not adjust to a different way of seeking and receiving the services they want. Public officers, too, must adjust to faster transaction speeds and the tearing down of organisational boundaries.

Just as for other changes that are necessary for Singapore's transition into the knowledge age, the government is the facilitator who will put into place the infrastructure to help Singaporeans improve their living standards, but ultimately it is up to individual Singaporeans to make the choice and take the necessary steps. In this case it means acquainting themselves with ICT or overcoming mindsets about traditional forms of service delivery. Only then can we ensure that we get the most value out of the ICT revolution to improve our living standards.