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Following is the transcript (English portion) of a media session by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Donald Tsang, after visiting the Immigration Department Headquarter and the Smart ID Card Centre - Hong Kong this (August 18) afternoon:

Reporter: Mr Tsang, can you tell us something about the Smart ID card? What do you think of it?

Chief Secretary: I think it is quite a brilliant idea. I am very impressed by the work of the Immigration Department in this regard. They spent only three odd years from conception of the idea to the implementation of the scheme and the finance committee approved the project only a year and a bit ago. So within a very short period of time, they have introduced a highly complex, a very massive project and I'm very grateful for the work by our Immigration colleagues in this regard. And this is a very useful card. I can use it almost immediately as a library card. I can use it as an ordinary ID card. I can use it as an e-certificate and next year I hope I'm able to use it for travelling purposes, going through our boundary crossing points and later on I'll be using it as a driving licence. So, gradually I can dispense with all my other cards. It's a very convenient service. One thing very important is that I have taken the opportunity to look around the facilities and the procedures adopted by the Immigration Department to protect the information stored in the card. They have taken it very seriously, very meticulously and very professionally. I feel very safe about it and I am sure that all Hong Kong residents making use of this Smart Card will feel similarly safe. And, of course, the Smart Card is part of the very large project of introducing electronic services in all Government services. This will make them more accessible to people. They will not have to queue up - they can obtain various types of Government services through the Internet. So I think it is a general upgrading, reflecting the modernity of Government services in Hong Kong.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript)

End/Monday, August 18, 2003

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