delivery
*******************************************************
The Digital 21 Strategy Advisory Committee endorsed at its meeting today (October 24) the new strategy for delivering online government information and services. The new strategy is one of the new initiatives promulgated in the 2005-06 Policy Agenda.
Members noted that under the new strategy, the Government would launch a new one-stop access portal (OSP) to serve as a main gateway to online government information and services. Adopting a citizen-centric approach, the OSP will group related government information and services into different service clusters based around the needs and expectations of our citizens and businesses. Customer research will be conducted at various stages to provide input to the design of the OSP and the grouping of information/services.
The OSP will progressively subsume the existing Government Information Centre (GIC) (www.info.gov.hk) and reprovision the e-government services currently on the Electronic Service Delivery (ESD) portal (www.esd.gov.hk), the contract of which will expire in January, 2008. The one-stop portal will thus greatly facilitate the public¡¦s access to the Government and build up a unified e-government branding for Hong Kong.
The initial launch of the OSP is scheduled for mid-2006, and the service clusters will be expanded and deepened incrementally from mid-2006 to end 2007.
The Government will conduct an Expression of Interest exercise in mid-2006 to gauge market interest and business potential in providing value-added services and operating the service clusters.
A dedicated team has been established within the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) to oversee the development of the OSP and the central e-government infrastructure. Private sector expertise will be engaged through outsourcing as and when necessary.
Members also noted the Government¡¦s response to the recommendations on the promotion of wireless and mobile technology industry in Hong Kong jointly submitted by the Hon. Sin Chung Kai and four IT Industry Associations at the D21SAC meeting in April, 2005.
The meeting noted that the proposals were broadly in line with the Government¡¦s policies, strategies and programmes on the development and promotion of wireless and mobile technology industry in Hong Kong as promulgated in the 2004 Digital 21 Strategy, and that the Government is actively pursuing many of the proposals put forward.
Members noted that the Task Force on Facilitating the Adoption of Wireless and Mobile Services and Technology, which was set up by the OGCIO and comprises representatives from the industry, academia and the Government, would take the proposals into consideration when finalising its recommendations and action programme.
Ends/Monday, October 24, 2005
Issued at HKT 16:47
NNNN
