App to give feedback being tested

A mobile app to send feedback on municipal issues is being tested and is expected to be launched early next year.

When it becomes available, residents will no longer need to figure out which government agency to complain to about problems in public spaces, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Grace Fu said yesterday.

The app will have feedback categories organised by topic, such as pests or greenery, she said.

"You will not need to know which agency is responsible for which function... The system will route the feedback to the right agency," The Straits Times quoted her as saying.

Ms Fu heads the newly established Municipal Services Office (MSO), which is launching the app to streamline city services so as to better serve residents.

The app is being tested by public officers, grassroots leaders and volunteers, Ms Fu said in a post on Facebook.

Another 200 grassroots leaders and volunteers from across the island will be invited to test it. They will try out its "geo-tagging" functionality.

This is the process of adding geographical information to a database, and allows "for a more accurate description of the location" about which a user is providing feedback, said Ms Fu.

MSO will include additional features to the app in later updates, based on the needs of users.

The eight agencies under the MSO are the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority, national water agency PUB, National Parks Board, Housing Board, Land Transport Authority, the police, People's Association and the National Environment Agency.

This article was first published on Dec 13, 2014.
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