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With the savings achieved from the Enhanced Productivity Programme (EPP), the Government Printer, Mr David Tsui Kwan-ping, said today (March 5) that the department had used this opportunity to deliver services in a more innovative way, including the introduction of the electronic Gazette which was fully launched in December last year.

A weekly publication, the Government Gazette with its official notifications, bills and legislation, professional lists, trade marks etc. can easily reach over 600 pages in each issue.

Mr Tsui said: "With the introduction of e-Gazette, the information is now available 'real-time' on the Internet. This greatly facilitates communication from around the world."

Visit to the website has increased ten folds to over 60,000 each month. Moreover, subscription to the hard copies has dropped from 4,000 to 2,200 each week, making the whole publication exercise more environmental friendly.

Armed with the success of the e-Gazette, the Printing Department is developing a pilot study project on e-Ordering with five major client departments. When this project is completed at the end of this year, it will turn a new leaf for the Printing Department in its G2B venture.

In productivity gains, the Printing Department will have achieved a total of $8.9M (3.5%) by the end of 2001-02. With the advent of modern printing technology, the department had invested in two sets of modern Computer-to-Plate system for origination work, thereby reducing much the need to prepare printing plates in the traditional way which is both time-consuming and less environmental friendly, with the use of films and solutions.

A perfect binding machine was also installed in the finishing division. This machine combines the three finishing processes of gathering, binding and cutting into one automatic operation. Further, opportunity had been taken to rationalize the plant and equipment in the workshop, thus ensuing our operation to be more efficient and cost effective.

Mr Tsui added that the department had taken a conscientious effort to rationalize its paper stock-holding, from the previous 6 months' stock to an average of 3.5 months of paper consumption. This allows a reduction of $20M in paper stock, and another saving of $3.2M at the end of 2001-02 arising from rental charges for storage and transportation cost.

Looking ahead, Mr Tsui said that the EPP initiatives had provided the colleagues an opportunity to look afresh into the usual way of running operation. With the productivity gained, the department was confident in joining the Voluntary Retirement Scheme introduced last year. A total of 77 colleagues in various grades/ ranks have voluntarily opted to join the scheme, thereby providing both the staff an attractive exit scheme and the management a challenge to operate a much slimmer and fitter organization to deliver its services in the new millennium.

End/Monday, March 5, 2001

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