HK strives to build digital city

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, November 14, 2003

HK strives to build digital city

Hong Kong has made great strides on the road to becoming an e-business community and a digital city, said Alan Wong Chi-kong, director of Information Technology Services Wednesday.

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Hong Kong has made great strides on the road to becoming an e-business community and a digital city, said Alan Wong Chi-kong, director of Information Technology Services Wednesday.

Wong made the remarks while reviewing Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government's recent information technology (IT) measures in a speech to the 9th Joint International Computer Conference in Zhuhai.

He said a key principle of the Digital 21 Strategy is that the government must lead by example in the adoption of e-business. As at the end of June this year, the Government had provided e-options for 86 percent of public services amenable to electronic delivery. It is confident of achieving its aim of 90 percent by the end of this year.

The smart identity card launched this June is a major componentof e-government strategy. Offering increased security and various value-added applications, the new ID card supports e-business and e-government transactions, Wong added.

To provide the logistics industry with a neutral and open electronic platform for information and data exchange, the government is exploring a Digital Trade and Transportation Network. It is hoped that operating costs can be lowered by improvements inthe speed and reliability of information transmission.

To help the public navigate government websites with ease, the "Common Look and Feel" website guidelines and specifications were introduced at the end of last year.

He said the Electronic Service Delivery Scheme has been well-received, logging more than 3.5 million transactions since its launch at the end of 2000. The scheme offers 170 kinds of government services online and has significantly improved quality and efficiency of delivery.

"The government plans to join up a number of related cross-departmental services with a view to providing the public with more direct access and better search functions. Projects under study include the Business Entry Portal, the Property Information Hub and the Integrated Criminal Justice System," Wong said.

With the signing of the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement, 18 sectors including telecommunications services willenjoy closer trading ties with the mainland. The Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau is discussing with the industry a mechanism to strengthen co-operation on the IT and communications industries between Hong Kong and the mainland.

"Information technology is part of the drive for economic restructuring," Wong said. "To maintain Hong Kong's prosperity, reinforcing Hong Kong's IT connection with the Pearl River Delta and investing in IT education is crucial."

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