What Our People Say

“If I were to sum up my journey as an AGD scholar in three words, it would be ‘exposure’, ‘rigour’ and ‘fulfilment’.”

Justin Kong
Head, Economics Programmes 2
Ministry of Finance

I joined AGD in 2014 under the Financial and Management Reporting Directorate which had the key responsibility of preparing the Government Financial Statements. To facilitate meaningful and reliable reporting, I was involved in reviewing and improving the central accounting systems, processes and rules. This enabled me to have a bird’s eye view of the Government’s finances.

My second posting in 2017 was to the Treasury Directorate where I worked with the Ministry of Finance to ensure proper management of the Government’s assets, liabilities and reserves. The Treasury Directorate also supports the Accountant-General in reporting on the reserves position to the President and informing the President of any proposed transaction that is likely to draw on past reserves.

These roles became starkly critical when COVID-19 struck and they had to seek the President’s approval to draw on the reserves. They had to ensure sufficient resources were available for the roll-out of support measures while maintaining proper safeguards as they handled unprecedented circumstances. I was also roped into the preparation of the multiple budgets that they had during the crisis. Knowing how my work would benefit fellow Singaporeans, this spurred me on throughout the many late-night work sessions and kept the teamwork strong.

I am currently seconded to the Economic Programmes (EP) Directorate under the Ministry of Finance which plays an important role in the allocation of fiscal and other financial resources across economic programmes to support the nation’s economic priorities. The team (EP2) is involved in areas such as resourcing and supporting Singapore’s energy resilience and security, energy transition and decarbonisation journey. His team also play a role in facilitating business’ access to capital through means such as equity, debt and project financing. Being exposed to policy work covering a diverse range of issues has been an enriching experience. Knowing that our work can make a positive impact on Singapore’s economy and society makes it all the more fulfilling.

“AGD Accountancy Scholarship gave me the opportunity to excel more than just being a student but as a leader and an aspiring civil servant.”

Macus Lim
AGD Accountancy Scholar

Coming from a lower – middle income family, I am always grateful to Singapore’s education system and its system of meritocracy where everyone is given the opportunity to succeed based on one’s ability rather than socioeconomic status.

As such, I have always been looking for an opportunity to give back to the society. This opportunity came when I was choosing a scholarship after my GCSE A Level – I decided to take up the AGD Accountancy Scholarship in 2017.

The AGD Accountancy Scholarship has allowed me to maximise my full potential beyond academics, without having to fret over financial concerns. Because of this enabler, I was able to take up multiple leadership positions in the university. I was also assigned an AGD buddy as well as a mentor who would address any queries I had and provide me with advice on various matters. I was constantly engaged and invited to attend corporate activities such as AGD Dinner and Dance, AGD Annual Advance, etc during my term of study.

In May 2021, I interned in AGD’s Finance Transformation Directorate and worked on the Cumulus project which aims to harness the new cloud technology to realise productivity and efficiency improvements for Finance, HR and Payroll processes in the Statutory Boards. This internship has given me a broad understanding of how AGD is able to empower the rest of the public service as a leader in transforming Public Sector Finance.

“AGD can be characterised by its strong company culture, diverse individuals and career prospects that spurs personal growth.””

Vera Lim
PSC Public Finance Scholar

As part of my internship, I was attached to the Financial Transformation team which is responsible for the implementation of a harmonised and centralised financial system for the Whole-Of-Government.

I was involved in providing roving support to an agency as their employees came onboard the new financial system. Concurrently, I was also working with the team to implement and integrate the new system to agencies in the later project phase.

Throughout my attachment, I have been welcomed by colleagues despite the physical restrictions and work from home arrangements. We celebrated key milestones together and explored new ideas of change management and stakeholder management. AGD builds a strong rapport with scholars through mentorship and hosting various events such as Annual Advance that allow us to mingle and interact with fellow colleagues and scholars.

As AGD values unique experiences, skills and ideas that each individual brings, they have been supportive of my co-curriculum activities, internships and exchange programme. These invaluable takeaways help me to grow professionally and personally, ultimately preparing me to serve in the public sector.