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The Census and Statistics Department is in full steam preparation for the first Population Census in the new Millenium and modern technology will be applied to ensure its success.

In a joint announcement ceremony marking the award of contract to Kodak (Far East) Limited for the provision of Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) Technique for data capturing work today (October 10), the Commissioner for Census & Statistics, Mr Frederick Ho, said that the 2001 Population Census to be conducted between March 15 and 27 next year would be the largest in scale ever.

Noting that the field work alone would already be a very big operation with 23 000 field workers to be mobilised, Mr Ho said that a very trying task to follow would be the processing work on the census data.

"Around 2.8 million sets of forms will need to be processed. In order to achieve the target of completing the data input process within three months from end-March to end-June 2001, we have decided to implement data capturing by using the Optical Mark Recognition technique," Mr Ho said.

He pointed out that census data were very important information and their use would have far reaching implications for the development of Hong Kong and the future generations. "We must ensure that the data are processed accurately and results are available as soon as practicable. By adopting the OMR technology, it is anticipated that both efficiency and accuracy of data input would be achieved at a very high standard," he added.

Having decided to adopt the OMR technology, the Department went through a very rigorous selection procedure. Kodak (Far East) Limited has finally been chosen as the service provider. The work covers questionnaire layout design and printing; provision of scanners and computer equipments; and developing a tailor-made data capturing system, which will have interface with other Census-related systems.

Kodak's Vice President and Regional Business General Manager of Document Imaging, Greater Asia Region, Ms Elaine Chu, said: "We are proud to support the 2001 Population Census by our leading technology in document management."

Both Mr Ho and Ms Chu were glad to note that a preliminary test on the use of OMR was completed in August with very encouraging results. Mr Ho expressed confidence that the target would be met for releasing accurate data on the population in accordance with pre-set schedules, and this modern technology provided by Kodak would find a successful application.

End/Tuesday, October 10, 2000

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