Population data now available on OneMap

SINGAPORE — Big data has been given a push, with more the Government planning to make more information available on various Government websites here soon, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmaguratnam said today (June 17). Speaking at the launch of the eGov Global Exchange this morning, Mr Tharman announced more information will be made available for citizens to tap on — and in ways that allow users to make more sense of them. One example is Population Query launched today. It is the latest service on the Singapore Land Authority’s OneMap website and gives users graphic and visual representations of Singapore’s demographics. This can then be combined with other services such as school locations or property prices to give citizens new insights into, for example, the best place to move. More than 1,700 services are already available online, he noted. Last year, the government revamped the ecitizen portal, a move that was “motivated by a simple principle that we must start with information and services that customers want”, said Mr Tharman. Another example is the Ministry of Manpower’s Autobenchmark, to be launched later this year. It will collate and allow users to check salaries against the national benchmark, as one service.