Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on the Use of ICA’s Over-the-Counter Services in 2020, by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law

Question:

Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how many visitors continue to use over-the-counter services at ICA in 2020; and (b) what is ICA doing to ensure that residents who require assistance to access ICA services can continue to do so.

Answer:

1. There were approximately 660,000 over-the-counter transactions made at the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in 2020. The majority of these over-the-counter transactions were for the collection of physical documents such as passports and National Registration Identity Cards (NRICs).

2. ICA has been transforming its services to provide an even more convenient and efficient experience for customers. Today, members of the public can perform a wide range of transactions with ICA through the MyICA online platform. Those who are using MyICA for the first time can learn about its features through an online tutorial, which includes step-by-step video guides in our four official languages for the online application of passports and ICs.

3. ICA is conscious that some customers may not have access to the Internet or are unfamiliar with transacting online. Therefore, ICA’s e-Services allow family members and friends of these customers to transact with ICA on their behalf, for key services such as passport application, re-registration of IC and change of IC particulars.

4. Those who do not have someone to assist them can visit the ICA Building, where ICA officers will guide them to submit the application online, or process the application over the counter