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[h=2]Govt launches websites in bid to counter online rumour and distortion[/h]
September 22nd, 2012 |
Author: Editorial
In its bid to counter online rumour and distortion, the Government has quietly launched new websites.
In May this year, it launched a new section on the official govt website, www.gov.sg, called “Factually”. It aims to give bite-sized answers to questions that have arisen over controversial topics or decisions made by Govt.
A MICA spokesman said that Factually “is intended to be a convenient, central and credible platform” for a summary of key facts on certain policy decisions. It is not meant to be a comprehensive source, and information on specific policies which can be found on ministry or statutory board websites.
It contains various topics such as:
For example, in the recent sale of a HDB resale flat exceeding $1 million, generating concerns of lack of affordability of HDB flats, HDB replied on its HDB Speaks website:
Rather than selectively picking questions to answer on its own websites, it may be more productive for the Govt to address netizens’ concerns by directly engaging the netizens on those alternate sites instead.
.
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In its bid to counter online rumour and distortion, the Government has quietly launched new websites.
In May this year, it launched a new section on the official govt website, www.gov.sg, called “Factually”. It aims to give bite-sized answers to questions that have arisen over controversial topics or decisions made by Govt.
A MICA spokesman said that Factually “is intended to be a convenient, central and credible platform” for a summary of key facts on certain policy decisions. It is not meant to be a comprehensive source, and information on specific policies which can be found on ministry or statutory board websites.
It contains various topics such as:
- Housing
- COE
- Reserves
- Debt Level
- GST
- Government Procurement
- Flood Management
- Inflation
- Transport
- Etc.
“Looking only at the liabilities alone (i.e. gross debt) does not discriminate between two countries with the same level of debt but with very different levels of assets. In Singapore’s case, we do not borrow to spend. We instead invest all borrowing proceeds. All borrowings are thus backed by assets. What we earn in investment income from our assets is more than sufficient to cover the debt servicing costs. The Singapore Government in fact has a strong balance sheet with assets well in excess of our liabilities.”
HDB has also launched a new website called HDB Speaks (www.hdbspeaks.sg) 2 weeks ago. According to the site’s information, it is set-up to counter “myths and misconceptions” related to housing issues which may have arisen:
“For more than 50 years, the Housing & Development Board (HDB) has provided quality and affordable homes for generations of Singaporeans. Currently, more than 8 in 10 Singaporean families call an HDB flat their home. Over the years, many policies have been introduced and revised in a continuing mission to provide home ownership for the population. With HDB touching so many lives in Singapore, virtually everyone has a view about various aspects of public housing, some more critical than others. Along the way, certain myths and misconceptions have arisen. Many also remain interested in finding out what HDB is doing to help different groups in society.”
It aims to be a place where people can “get the facts on the myths about HDB”.
For example, in the recent sale of a HDB resale flat exceeding $1 million, generating concerns of lack of affordability of HDB flats, HDB replied on its HDB Speaks website:
“The recent high resale prices are the exception rather than the norm. The overall Resale Price Index has shown signs of stabilising. These particular transactions involved selected flats with highly desirable attributes, including the flat type, location, view, and internal decorations, which some buyers consider to be worth the premium price.”
“While HDB is not directly involved in the price negotiation process for resale flats, we help buyers make informed decisions by publishing up-to-date information on housing policies, prices, as well as financing options on the HDB InfoWEB.”
“HDB is committed to offering affordable new flats of high quality to Singaporean households. We provide a diverse range of flat types (from 2-room flats to 5-room flats) in various estates, with standard or premium designs, catering to families with different budgets. In addition, numerous subsidies and grants are also available to first-timer Singapore citizen families to help them set up their homes.”
However, Assistant Professor of Corporate Communication (Education) at the Lee Kong Chian School of Business of SMU, Michael Netzley, told the media, “Peers listen to peers. People today are generally less interested in what you say about yourself and more interested in what others say about you.”“While HDB is not directly involved in the price negotiation process for resale flats, we help buyers make informed decisions by publishing up-to-date information on housing policies, prices, as well as financing options on the HDB InfoWEB.”
“HDB is committed to offering affordable new flats of high quality to Singaporean households. We provide a diverse range of flat types (from 2-room flats to 5-room flats) in various estates, with standard or premium designs, catering to families with different budgets. In addition, numerous subsidies and grants are also available to first-timer Singapore citizen families to help them set up their homes.”
Rather than selectively picking questions to answer on its own websites, it may be more productive for the Govt to address netizens’ concerns by directly engaging the netizens on those alternate sites instead.
.
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