GovTech retrenches 38 employees in second wave of layoffs

GovTech said the 38 affected roles in its second round of layoffs are primarily structured around traditional project delivery.

Published Oct 22, 2026, 09:16 PM

Updated Oct 22, 2026, 09:16 PM

SINGAPORE - The Government Technology Agency of Singapore has retrenched 38 employees in its second of three rounds of layoffs to reduce reliance on vendors and allow the team to take greater ownership of its products.

In a media reply on Oct 22, GovTech said the 38 affected roles are primarily structured around traditional project delivery.

“Following the workforce review, 106 officers will remain in their current roles, while another 106 are eligible for conversion and apprenticeship pathways to transition into new roles,” said GovTech, adding that those doing apprenticeships will be supported through the transition process.

The agency said it has prioritised retaining, retraining, and redeploying its officers wherever possible.

The first round of layoffs started in July, when 93 employees of its 3,900-strong team were retrenched. It expects a total of 7 to 9 per cent of its workforce to be affected over the next two years, including the third round.

GovTech said it will continue to work with the Public Service Division, Skills and Workforce Development Agency, and Amalgamated Union of Statutory Board Employees to provide career coaching, job matching and placement assistance.

The agency said in July that retrenched staff would receive one month’s salary for every year of service capped at 25 years; a three-month ex-gratia payment; and salary and benefits through a six-week handover and notice period.

Explaining the need for the changes in GovTech, the agency’s chairman Chng Kai Fong said then that critical systems increasingly demand in-house capabilities so the agency can respond and adjust quickly to national needs.

Modern technology development requires far more control and agility, especially as the world becomes more digital, and the need for critical government digital infrastructure has “grown tremendously”, he said.

“Left unchanged, our legacy systems become harder to secure, harder to change and more vulnerable to failure,” he added.

GovTech needs people who can define the problem, shape the architecture, make sound build-or-buy decisions, defend its systems and improve critical services every day, Chng said.

“Vendors will remain important partners, but accountability for our core systems now sits with us.”

Examples of services that illustrate this way of working are products like Singpass, Parents Gateway and CDC vouchers, he said.

“These cannot be specified once, handed to a vendor and considered done. Teams must build, operate, secure and keep improving them, with full accountability.”

The agency expects to employ more people at the end of the exercise, Chng said. “We need more software engineers, product managers, designers, data specialists and cybersecurity professionals.”

Checks by The Straits Times on Oct 22 found around 270 open positions listed by GovTech on Careers@Gov, the jobs portal for those looking to join the civil service.

Jobs listed by the agency include software engineers, product managers, product operations specialists, data scientists and engineers, and designers.

GovTech/Government Technology Agency

GovTech表示，第二轮裁员中受影响的38个职位主要围绕传统项目交付展开。

发布于 2026 年 10 月 22 日晚上 9:16

更新于2026年10月22日晚上9:16

新加坡——新加坡政府科技局已进行三轮裁员中的第二轮，裁减了 38 名员工，以减少对供应商的依赖，并让团队对其产品拥有更大的自主权。

10 月 22 日，GovTech 在回复媒体时表示，受影响的 38 个职位主要围绕传统项目交付展开。

“经过人员审查，106 名官员将继续担任现有职务，另有 106 名官员有资格通过转岗和学徒途径过渡到新职位，”政府科技局表示，并补充说，参加学徒计划的人员将在过渡过程中获得支持。

该机构表示，已将尽可能留住、重新培训和重新部署警员作为优先事项。

第一轮裁员始于7月，当时该公司3900名员工中有93人被裁。该公司预计，未来两年内，包括第三轮裁员在内，将有7%至9%的员工受到影响。

GovTech表示将继续与公共服务部门、技能和劳动力发展署以及法定机构雇员联合工会合作，提供职业指导、工作匹配和安置援助。

该机构在 7 月份表示，被裁员工将获得相当于其服务年限每满一年一个月工资的补偿金（最高不超过 25 年）；三个月的特惠金；以及在六周的交接和通知期内的工资和福利。

政府科技局主席庄启峰当时在解释政府科技局进行改革的必要性时表示，关键系统越来越需要内部能力，以便该机构能够快速响应和调整以满足国家需求。

他表示，现代技术发展需要更强的控制力和灵活性，尤其是在世界日益数字化的今天，对关键政府数字基础设施的需求也“大幅增长”。

他补充说：“如果不加以改变，我们的传统系统将越来越难以保障安全、难以更改，也更容易出现故障。”

Chng表示，政府科技局需要能够定义问题、构建架构、做出合理的自建或外购决策、捍卫其系统并每天改进关键服务的人才。

“供应商仍将是重要的合作伙伴，但我们核心系统的责任现在由我们自己承担。”

他表示，Singpass、Parents Gateway 和 CDC 代金券等服务就是这种工作方式的例证。

“这些不能一次性制定好，交给供应商就万事大吉。团队必须构建、运营、维护并持续改进这些系统，并承担全部责任。”

Chng表示，该机构预计在演习结束后会雇用更多员工。“我们需要更多软件工程师、产品经理、设计师、数据专家和网络安全专业人员。”

《海峡时报》10 月 22 日的调查发现，GovTech 在 Careers@Gov（面向希望加入公务员队伍的求职者）网站上列出了约 270 个空缺职位。

该机构发布的职位包括软件工程师、产品经理、产品运营专家、数据科学家和工程师以及设计师。

政府科技局/政府技术局