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The Information Technology Services Department (ITSD) will be celebrating its 10th anniversary from Tuesday (November 16) by promoting IT to its users and the community.

Speaking on a radio programme today (Sunday), the Director of Information Technology Services, Mr Lau Kam-hung, recollected that ITSD was re-organised from the Government Data Processing Agency in 1989 when there were around 400 staff members.

"Now we have nearly 1,000 people and that is still not enough if we are to attract new expertise and to meet urgent demands," Mr Lau said.

"And expenditure has also risen over the years from less than $400 million 10 years ago to $2 billion in the last financial year.

"A big increase, but do not forget we are talking about supporting information technology (IT) projects for 15 bureaux and more than 70 government departments," he said.

In the past 10 years, ITSD has been committed to ensuring that all the government IT systems work and keep pace with the needs and requirements of government bureaux and departments.

With the advent of the new millennium, ITSD is taking up a new mission of promoting the wider use of IT in the community.

Mr Lau believes that the more extensive use of IT will result in a closer relationship between the Government and the people it serves.

"We are gradually moving a lot of work which used to be done by ordinary post or over the counter into cyberspace," Mr Lau said.

"This has enabled the community to inform themselves fully about what the Government is doing on their behalf, while allowing the Government to keep in close and continuous touch with the public needs and ideas."

To mark its 10th birthday, ITSD will hold a two-day IT conference and exhibition with the theme of "Electronic Government in the New Millennium" at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Tuesday and Wednesday (November 17).

Representatives from the Government, academia and the industry will speak at the conference which is divided into four sessions covering the topics of Management, Technology, User Group and IT in Community.

The exhibition, to be held at the same time as the conference, will feature the organisation and services of ITSD, the major IT projects by ITSD, the successful programmes of individual government departments and the future of the electronic government.

The Information Technology Solution Centre of ITSD will also stage demonstration weeks for government bureaux and departments between November 23 and December 10 as part of the 10th anniversary celebration.

To get the public involved, ITSD together with Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) have produced 10 series of one-minute radio programme called "IT Chat Room" to disseminate basic IT information including e-commerce, ICQ and Internet phone.

The programme will be broadcast on four RTHK channels, including the Putonghua channel, between November 15 and December 10.

An IT exhibition organised by ITSD in association with the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong will be held at Tamar Site between December 20 and January 2, 2000 as another celebration activity for members of the public.

End/Sunday, November 14, 1999

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