The following is issued on behalf of the Office of The Ombudsman:

     At the 28th Presentation Ceremony of The Ombudsman’s Awards today (November 18), the Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan, presented the Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards for Public Organisations to the Housing Department (HD), the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), and the Correctional Services Department (CSD), respectively. He also honoured the Transport Department (TD) with the Award on Mediation, the Drainage Services Department (DSD) with the Information Technology Application and Creativity Award, and the Digital Policy Office (DPO) with the Customer Services Award. Additionally, 10 teams were recognised with the Team Awards, and 80 public officers received the Individual Awards.

     Addressing the ceremony, Mr Chan shared the Office of The Ombudsman’s record-breaking accomplishments across all three strategic focuses he introduced last year, and extended his sincere appreciation to all relevant government departments and public organisations for their active co-operation and collaboration. This year, following the completion of several direct investigation operations into livelihood issues, which have drawn widespread public concern and significant attention from the Government, the Office is poised to surpass last year’s achievements. Furthermore, it will actively leverage the Hong Kong International Ombudsman Academy to foster innovation and drive positive changes in public administration, advocate the concept of “maladministration prevention”, and continue to strengthen ties and exchanges with international ombudsman bodies. These initiatives aim to showcase the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)’s distinctive advantage of having strong support from the motherland and close connection with the world while telling good stories of Hong Kong.

     The HD received the Gold Award this year. Despite its heavy workload in handling public rental housing applications, tenancy matters and estate management, the HD has been earnest in responding to the Office’s inquiries. Its efficient staff have contributed a lot to many successful mediation cases, demonstrating a strong commitment to service. The HD has shown particular concern for cases involving the elderly and people in need, working closely with the Office to resolve public concerns promptly and effectively. These efforts reflect its people-oriented approach and unwavering commitment to enhancing public administration.

     The FEHD was recognised for its outstanding performance in food safety, environmental hygiene and public health. It responds promptly to public complaints and actively implements the Office’s recommendations for improvement. The FEHD also takes the initiative to participate in the Office’s mediation efforts, striving to resolve public complaints more swiftly and effectively. Moreover, it has embraced innovative technologies to enhance service efficiency, illustrating a positive and forward-looking service mindset.

     The CSD has proactively introduced innovative initiatives, including a chatbot and the Approved Hand-in Articles e-Ordering Service, to enhance penal management and convenience for the public. It also offers a diverse range of rehabilitation and education programmes to support persons in custody and rehabilitated individuals in reintegrating into society. The CSD adopts a proactive and positive approach to complaint handling, delivering comprehensive and timely responses, which is commendable.

     The TD, recipient of the Award on Mediation this year, resolved 74 cases by mediation in 2024-25. Its staff responded promptly and communicated clearly, exemplifying a balanced approach that is lawful, practical and empathetic throughout the mediation process. Such practices led to satisfactory resolutions and earned the TD high praise from the Office for its exemplary performance in promoting mediation.

     The DSD was honoured with the Information Technology Application and Creativity Award for its dedicated in-house development of smart drainage systems to address challenges posed by extreme weather. Among its notable achievements, the Mosaic Model Map effectively predicts the flood risks of all districts throughout the territory, thereby enhancing emergency response capabilities. The system was recognised at the 50th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva this year, underscoring the DSD’s excellence in technology application and creativity.

     The DPO received the Customer Services Award. Operated by the DPO, the 1823 Contact Centre provides 24-hour customer service. Last year, it processed 7.55 million cases using artificial intelligence and excelled itself across all key performance indicators. 1823 has actively adopted innovative technologies to further streamline service workflows and is committed to delivering professional, courteous and efficient service at all times.

     This year, the Office introduced a new Team Award to not only recognise professional teams that have demonstrated excellence in enhancing public administration but also foster stronger connection and team spirit. A total of 10 teams received the Team Awards, including three involving interdepartmental collaboration. In addition, the Individual Awards were presented to 80 distinguished public officers. At the ceremony, Mr Chan praised the awardees, saying, “I am very pleased to see more public officers being commended. This is both a testament to their efforts and contributions and a showcase for continuous progress in public services.”

     In his final remarks, Mr Chan underscored the significance of the eighth Legislative Council General Election, noting its pivotal role in supporting the HKSAR Government’s actions in policy formulation and implementation and driving economic development and improvement of people’s livelihood. He stressed that as the independent watchdog, the Ombudsman is obliged to communicate an important message to 106 departments and organisations subject to the Office’s jurisdiction:   Public officers, as the backbone of the governance team, should set an example and cast votes in the elections to fulfil their civic responsibility. The Ombudsman and all his staff fully support the election. He urged all members of the public to support the election wholeheartedly and all voters to vote on December 7. He also wished that every colleague present would motivate their families and friends to fulfil their civic responsibility by casting a precious vote for the HKSAR’s good governance, economic vibrancy and public well-being, as well as the full implementation of the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong”. Mr Chan expressed his sincere appreciation to all winning organisations and public officers for their united efforts in advancing the quality of public administration.

     A full list of this year’s Individual Award recipients and citations for the winning teams (Chinese only) can be found in Appendices 1 and 2, respectively.

Ends/Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Issued at HKT 18:30

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