Changes to law being proposed to share public data with private sector

Criminal penalties on those found to have abused the data shared being considered

- Lee Li Ying

Changes to existing laws have been proposed to pave the way for public agencies to share data that may involve individuals or businesses with the private sector.

The authorities are also considering imposing criminal penalties on individuals from the private sector if they were found to have abused the data shared with them when working with the Government.

This proposed update to the Public Sector Governance Act (PSGA), first rolled out in 2018 to hold public servants accountable, is being discussed in a public consultation slated to end on Sept 2.

"The amendments aim to enhance the use of data to deliver better services to Singaporeans," said the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) in its consultation paper published on Aug 12.

The proposed amendments aim to provide more clarity on data sharing between the public and private sector.

This comes as the Government increasingly works with community groups and the private sector to deliver services to the public, and may need to share government data sets involving individuals or businesses, facts and statistics with external parties, said MDDI.