******************************************************
Following is the speech by the Deputy Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting, Mrs Jessie Ting, at Seminar on Year 2000 and the Implications for Buildings, Facilities and Security Systems organised by Hongkong Institute of Engineers and International Facility Management Association (Hong Kong Chapter) today (Tuesday):-
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to open this seminar on the Year 2000 problem. This seminar provides a useful forum for experts of different disciplines to discuss with buildings and facilities managers how the Year 2000 problem should be tackled in a holistic manner. It drives home the message that the Year 2000 problem is not just a technical problem which can be left to the technicians to resolve. It is essentially an issue of operational continuity and a satisfactory solution calls for leadership and guidance from senior managers like yourselves.
Safeguarding operational continuity is the prime driving force behind Government's comprehensive Year 2000 compliance programme. We are determined to avoid any disruption in the delivery of public services when the new millennium arrives. To this end, we have set up a high level inter-departmental steering committee on Year 2000 compliance. The Committee, chaired by the Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting and comprising representatives from the relevant policy bureaux and departments, has drawn up a three-pronged approach to tackle the problem.
First, within Government, we have since late 1996 included Year 2000 compliance requirement in all our new procurement of IT systems and equipment. For all those systems and equipment which were put in place or acquired before late 1996, we have embarked upon a comprehensive rectification and replacement programme to ensure Year 2000 compliance. Every department has developed a Year 2000 rectification plan and action timetable. Progress is closely monitored by the steering committee through quarterly returns from all departments. At present, over 50% of our existing systems and equipment are already Year 2000 compliant. We are now working on the remainder and expect to achieve compliance well within 1999. To ensure that the Year 2000 rectification work gets the attention it rightly deserves within individual departments, we have organised briefings and seminars for Heads of Departments and the senior management in addition to workshops for working level staff.
Apart from Government departments, we are also working closely with non-government organisations which are funded or regulated by Government and which provide public services. Through the respective policy bureaux or departments, we are liaising with these organisations to ensure that they will also be able to achieve Year 2000 compliance before the century turn date and that their services to the public will continue uninterrupted.
Our monitoring programme covers a wide range of non-government organisations whose services impact on various aspects of our daily life, from telecommunications services to power supply and from transportation to banking services. Good progress has been reported. For example, in the financial services sector, over 90% of the banking institutions and over 70% of the insurers are expected to achieve Year 2000 compliance before the end of this year. Local power companies will also be able to achieve compliance at about the same time.
In addition, we are organising a series of publicity programmes to promote awareness on a community-wide basis and to encourage businesses in the private sector to take early action. Next week, for example, the Information Technology and Broadcasting Bureau and the Central Policy Unit will jointly organise a large scale seminar on the Year 2000 problem with particular focus on its impact on small and medium sized enterprises. We shall continue to draw the public's attention to the Year 2000 problem through the media. We shall work with major chambers of commerce to appeal to their members to take early rectification action. We shall also enlist the support of professional bodies in encouraging their clients to accord priority to Year 2000 corrective plans.
The Year 2000 problem poses a real challenge and we have only 18 months left to deal with it before the immutable deadline. This is an extremely tight time-frame for dealing with the Year 2000 implications for embedded systems, which are the core concern of buildings and facilities managers. From our own experience, information on the Year 2000 readiness of this type of equipment is typically not at the disposal of the users, but resides with the manufacturers. So we have to work closely with the suppliers or manufacturers both in assessing and fixing the problem. What compounds the difficulty of our task is that equipment of the same model may respond differently to the compliance test, which means type-test is not 100% accurate. So, for mission critical equipment, every single unit will have to be tested. The lesson to learn here is that don't under-estimate the time you will need to find a solution for your embedded systems and a quick fix may not always be available.
The Year 2000 problem can lead to potentially disastrous results if not properly addressed. In a worst case scenario, it could cause a complete shutdown of your operation. So don't leave anything to chance. The sooner you get started with your Year 2000 project, the sooner potential problems can be identified and actions taken to avert them. The key is : act now.
Thank you.
End/Tuesday, June 16, 1998
NNNN