Two Awards for MOM’s Employment Pass Online
20 October 2008
The Ministry's Employment Pass Online (EPOL) has bagged two prestigious awards:
- Government Technology Awards 2008 in the “Business Process” category1, and
- Merit Award in the National Infocomm Awards 2008 in the "Most Innovative Use of Infocomm Technology (Public Sector)" category2.
These awards are a strong testament to the innovation and effectiveness of EPOL.
Government Technology Awards 2008
2. The Government Technology Awards, organised by FutureGov3, recognises the best practices in public sector technology in the Asia Pacific and Gulf regions. On 17 October 2008, the EPOL won the Government Technology Awards 2008 in the “Business Process” category for its excellence in aligning best practices in business processes with technology application. Over 210 nominations from 14 countries in Asia Pacific competed in this category.
National Infocomm Awards 2008
3. EPOL is also a proud recipient of the Merit Award at the National Infocomm Awards (NIA) 2008, a biennial event organised by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and the Singapore infocomm Technology Federation (SiTF). This event is the highest accolade given to organisations which have effectively harnessed infocomm technology to enhance their business operations.
MOM's Employment Pass Online
4. Mr Then Yee Thoong, Director of the Work Pass Division, said: "The EPOL represents a fundamental change in the way we process work passes. It is a creative piece of re-engineering that has allowed us to do what no other country has yet managed to do. We offer the entire suite of transactions - from pass application to cancellation - online, anytime, anywhere. Having a world-class processing system is an important strategy in the global competition for talent.”
5. EPOL is a one-stop, self-service internet portal which provides employers easy and convenient access to a comprehensive suite of related services. EPOL users will be able to know their application outcome within seven working days unlike hardcopy applications that require four to five weeks to be processed. Customer convenience is also enhanced, as transactions previously done at MOM's counters, such as printing approval letters or tracking of application status, can now be carried out in EPOL.
MOM received the National Infocomm Awards 2008 on 14 October 2008 in Singapore.
FutureGov is an Asian magazine that focuses on building innovative capabilities and technological solutions for the public service.