Peter Ong

{{Short description|Singaporean civil servant}}

{{About|Singapore civil servant|the Malaysian entrepreneur|Ong Kean Swan|the video game designer|Peter Ong (game designer)}}

Peter Ong Boon Kwee ({{zh|s=王文辉}}) is a Singaporean civil servant, and the chairman of Enterprise Singapore. He was the Head of the Civil Service from 2010 to 2017.

Ong received a Colombo Plan Scholarship for his tertiary education, earning a degree in economics with honours from Lincoln College, University of Adelaide in 1983.{{Cite web|title=Senior Appointment Changes in the Public Sector|year=2005|publisher=Public Service Division, Singapore Government|url=http://app.psd.gov.sg/data/Press%20Release%20-%20Snr%20Appt%20Changes%20(21%20Feb).doc|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070423043554/http://app.psd.gov.sg/|archivedate=23 April 2007|url-status=dead}} He received his MBA from Stanford University in 1993.

Ong has previously held the positions of Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Permanent Secretary of National Security and Intelligence Co-ordination, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, and Second-Permanent-Secretary of the Ministry of Defence from 2001 to 2002. Prior to that, he was an executive vice president of Temasek Holdings from 1998 to 2000. He is also the former chairman of the Board of the Maritime and Port Authority and the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority, 2009-2010.{{Cite web|title=New Chairman for the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA)|date=30 August 2010|publisher=Singapore Government|url=http://www.news.gov.sg/public/sgpc/en/media_releases/agencies/mof/press_release/P-20100830-2/AttachmentPar/0/file/ACRA%20Chairmanship%20Appt%20(FINAL).pdf|access-date=7 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120710075358/http://www.news.gov.sg/public/sgpc/en/media_releases/agencies/mof/press_release/P-20100830-2/AttachmentPar/0/file/ACRA%20Chairmanship%20Appt%20(FINAL).pdf|archive-date=10 July 2012|url-status=dead}}

Ong currently is on the boards of directors of the Monetary Authority of Singapore,{{Cite news|title=Lim Chee Onn, Peter Ong reappointed to MAS board of directors|date=31 December 2013|newspaper=The Straits Times|url=http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/money/story/lim-chee-onn-peter-ong-reappointed-mas-board-directors-20131231|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101050720/http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/money/story/lim-chee-onn-peter-ong-reappointed-mas-board-directors-20131231|archivedate=1 January 2014|url-status=live}} the National Research Foundation Singapore and AMRO, the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic and Research Office.

He was the Chairman of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore from 2009 to 2016.{{Cite web|title=Annual Report 11 (2010/2011)|publisher=Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore|page=7|url=http://www.iras.gov.sg/irasHome/uploadedFiles/About_IRAS/Annual_report/About%20Us(1).pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140607191531/http://www.iras.gov.sg/irasHome/uploadedFiles/About_IRAS/Annual_report/About%20Us%281%29.pdf|archivedate=7 June 2014|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=Changes To Board Of Inland Revenue Authority Of Singapore (IRAS)|date=30 August 2010|publisher=Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, Singapore Government|url=http://iras.gov.sg/irasHome/page04.aspx?id=10716|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140607190440/http://iras.gov.sg/irasHome/page04.aspx?id=10716|archivedate=7 June 2014|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|title=Peter Ong reappointed Iras chairman|date=19 August 2013|newspaper=The Straits Times|url=http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/money/story/peter-ong-reappointed-iras-chairman-20130819|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130819191859/http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/money/story/peter-ong-reappointed-iras-chairman-20130819|archivedate=19 August 2013|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=So|first=Grace|date=2016-04-29|title=Tan Ching Yee appointed new chairman of IRAS|url=https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/tan-ching-yee-appointed-new-chairman-of-iras|access-date=2020-10-24|website=The Business Times|language=en}} He is also chairman of the board for the Calvary Community Care charity.{{Cite web|title=Our Management Team|publisher=Calvary Community Care|url=http://calvary.sg/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=3&Itemid=13|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130821152622/http://calvary.sg/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=3&Itemid=13|archivedate=21 August 2013|url-status=live}} Since 2010 he has been on the board of Singapore Telecommunications Ltd.{{Cite web|title=Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (STEL.SI)|publisher=Reuters|url=http://uk.reuters.com/business/quotes/companyOfficers?symbol=STEL.SI|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140607184856/http://uk.reuters.com/business/quotes/companyOfficers?symbol=STEL.SI|archivedate=7 June 2014|url-status=dead}}

As head of the Civil Service, Ong took a tough stand on corruption, saying that the authorities "will not hesitate to take action against a corrupt officer, no matter how senior he or she might be."{{Cite news|author=Chia, Ashley|title=Half of errant civil servants from enforcement units: Study|date=27 July 2013|newspaper=Today Online|location=Singapore|url=http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/half-errant-civil-servants-enforcement-units-study|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728092723/http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/half-errant-civil-servants-enforcement-units-study|archivedate=28 July 2013|url-status=live}} During the severe smoke and haze conditions in the summer of 2013, Ong ensured that government employees were “haze-ready” and that government operations continued despite the atmospheric conditions.{{Cite news|author=Soh, Alvina|title=Measures in Place to Assure Health of Officiers at Checkpoints|date=29 June 2013|newspaper=Today|location=Singapore|page=10|url=http://www.todayonline.com/sites/default/files/2906_AP_merged.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140607203746/http://www.todayonline.com/sites/default/files/2906_AP_merged.pdf|archivedate=7 June 2014|url-status=dead|access-date=7 June 2014}}

Ong is a believer in well-designed programs to achieve government and societal goals,{{Cite news|author=Mohandas, Vimita |date=25 June 2015 |title=Apply behavioural insights in policy-making: Civil Service head |newspaper=Channel NewsAsia |url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/apply-behavioural/1939170.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150813205924/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/apply-behavioural/1939170.html |archivedate=13 August 2015 |url-status=live}} and recently has been stressing the importance of dealing appropriately with the diversity of peoples’ needs, and multifaceted solutions.{{Cite news|author=Chan, Robin |date=26 March 2015 |title=Civil Service head Peter Ong says policy makers must be close to the ground |newspaper=The Straits Times |url=http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/civil-service-head-peter-ong-says-policy-makers-must-be-close-to-the-ground |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151213070111/http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/civil-service-head-peter-ong-says-policy-makers-must-be-close-to-the-ground |archivedate=13 December 2015 |url-status=live}}{{Cite news|author=Ong, Peter |date=29 October 2015 |title=A collective effort to build Singapore's future |url=http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/collective-effort-build-singapores-future?singlepage=true |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151213070510/http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/collective-effort-build-singapores-future?singlepage=true |archivedate=13 December 2015 |url-status=live}}