New senior government appointments, including move by EDB MD

[SINGAPORE] The Smart Nation and Digital Government Group (SNDGG) will have a new second permanent secretary, Mr Chng Kai Fong, from Oct 4.

Mr Chng is now the managing director of the Economic Development Board (EDB), and has held appointments at theformer Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, as well as at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Civil Service College, Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Communications Group at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

He has also worked in the private sector, spending two years in Shell Eastern Petroleum.

He was appointed Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister in 2014, then as EDB MD in 2017.

The Ministry of Education will also see a new second permanent secretary, Ms Lim Wan Yong, from Oct 4.

Ms Lim is now the deputy secretary for planning at the Ministry of National Development, and also deputy secretary for security coordination at PMO.

She has held appointments in the former Trade Development Board, Civil Service College, and trade and industry, education, and finance ministries.

She was also special assistant to Mr Teo Chee Hean, when he was Deputy Prime Minister.

Ms Teoh Zsin Woon, deputy secretary for transformation at the Public Service Division (PSD), will be appointed second permanent secretary at the Ministry of National Development, and concurrently second permanent secretary at PSD, from Oct 4.

Ms Lai Wei Lin, will relinquish her appointment as second permanent secretary for education, and continue as permanent secretary for law, also with effect from Oct 4.

She will be concurrently appointed second permanent secretary for finance from Jan 1, 2022.

On Oct 18, Mr Tan Kok Yam, will be appointed chief executive (designate) of SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), before taking over as its chief executive from Nov 1.

He will succeed Mr Ong Tze-Ch'in, who will assume another senior position in the public service.

Mr Tan has been SNDGG's deputy secretary since its formation in May 2017.

According to a media release from SSG, he leads the development of projects under the Smart Nation banner, and has initiated and implemented key changes to enable government digitalisation; for example, in how the public sector organises itself to make better use of data.

Mr Tan will also relinquish his concurrent appointment as the deputy secretary overseeing the National Climate Change Secretariat, in the Strategy Group within PMO, where he drives the development of national climate action plans.

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READ MORE: EDB MD Chng Kai Fong to step down in Oct, succeeded by Jacqueline Poh