IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

Two people have been recently hired specifically for these purposes, according to Ronald Chan (pictured), an advisor to the Hong Kong Chief Executive, Donald Tsang.

Currently, the Facebook profile of the Chief Executive (www.facebook.com/UpperAlbertRoad) has 23,326 followers who are given free reign in commenting on status and video updates at the site.

Speaking at an industry forum organized by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO), Mak said, "With the cloud environment, we aim to bring about overall improvement opportunities for operation efficiency, customer services, as well as reducing effort, time and risks in the implementation of IT systems."

The Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment (EBPP) platform is a consolidated platform for the straight-through processing of electronic bill presentments and payments. According to an official statement, users only need to log onto their internet banking account – to receive, view, manage and schedule payments for various e-bills issued by merchants.

The new programme extends wireless service to more than 40 new locations across Hong Kong, including popular tourist attractions, locations of high patronage and new types of premises such as law courts, civic centres and police report rooms.

“GovCloud is the Government’s first major private cloud computing initiative and is important central IT infrastructure with full cloud computing functions. It provides computing resources, including server, storage and network resources, for bureaus and departments,” said a spokesman from the Office of Government Chief Information Officer.

The SFC, HKMA, IA and MPFA are encouraging FIs to adopt iAM Smart in their businesses for customer authentication, document signing, and remote onboarding.

Hong Kong’s OGCIO (Office of the Government Chief Information Officer) has announced the launch of iAM Smart, which provides all Hong Kong residents with a single digital identity and authentication method to conduct government and commercial transactions online.

According to an official statement, the Lands Department developed the GeoMobile Map to cater to the public’s needs for a more convenient access to official digital maps and geospatial information.

“GeoMobile Map takes advantage of multi-touch technology, allowing users to smoothly zoom in and out of a map on their mobile devices,” a spokesman for the Lands Department said.

“We understand that data privacy and system security are of paramount importance to the development of the eHR Sharing System. To this end, the Government endeavours not only to deploy the appropriate technologies to safeguard system security, but also to formulate a Legal, Privacy and Security Framework for eHR sharing with reference to views of various stakeholders as well as local and overseas experiences, so as to provide legal protection for the privacy of patients’ health data and system security,” said York Chow, Secretary for Food and Health.

Hong Kong’s Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) has launched a Subsidy Scheme for Encouraging Early Deployment of 5G. The Scheme is open for application from today to 30 November 2020, on a first-come-first-served basis. The Scheme aims to encourage various sectors to deploy 5G technology early to boost innovation and smart city applications.

Under this scheme, Hong Kong’s government will subsidise 50 percent of the actual cost directly relevant to the deployment of 5G technology in an approved project, subject to a cap of GD 500,000. Around 100 qualified projects will be subsidized, the OFCA also said.

The Hong Kong government is on the forefront of digital government, backing its push into apps, IoT, and digital IDs with a modernised legal framework.

Hong Kong has been staying ahead of the technology curve by working on digitising its departments and agencies since the 1990s, according to former CIO of the Hong Kong government Daniel Lai, with the government now focusing on apps, digital IDs, e-health, city-wide free Wi-Fi, the Internet of Things (IoT), digital open data, and digital inclusion.

• City is ranked No 19, behind Singapore and Beijing, in global list topped by Zurich, Oslo and Canberra
• Pandemic saw increased reliance on tech and residents learned to use smartphones in critical new ways

Hong Kong leapt into the Top 20 of a global list of smart cities, thanks mainly to the increased use of technology in healthcare during the coronavirus pandemic.

The facility provides a one-stop enquiry and helpdesk service for local and overseas parties who are interested in setting up data centres in Hong Kong. In addition, the facility will coordinate efforts of different government agencies in offering needed assistance for parties setting up their data centres.

According to Gregory So, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, the data centres constitute an essential part of the infrastructure in the city’s knowledge-based economy.

Speaking at the recent Legislative Council’s Panel on Economic Development, he also revealed that its first integrated data centre is expected to be ready in 2019. The Office of the Government CIO (OGCIO) will consolidate and migrate six of the existing 29 government data centres into it.

According to an official statement, the one-off support scheme aims to facilitate the development of apps on common desktop and/or mobile platforms that provide practical content and services to cater for the needs of underprivileged groups. A maximum funding of HK$500,000 (US$64,000) will be provided for each selected project.

Hong Kong second-highest performing Asian city in ranking, with Tokyo only location on the continent to outperform it in fifth place

Hong Kong has ranked eighth globally in a smart cities index by a local university, outperforming many of its peers in Asia, including Seoul and Singapore.

Polytechnic University published the International Society for Urban Informatics (ISUI) Smart City Index 2025 on Wednesday, with Hong Kong performing strongly in areas such as economy and governance, but struggling in terms of infrastructure and other categories.

The CCC provides major IT infrastructural services to all Government departments to support communication between the government and the public.

It is responsible for information dissemination that is made available through Government websites such as the GovHK one-stop portal, and also the delivery of e-government services.

“At present, 41 types of e-government services require the use of digital certificates for digital signature or identity authentication,” he said last week. They ensure the authenticity and integrity of the information transmitted during the transaction.

According to Elizabeth Tse, Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Communications and Technology), the renewal of the memorandum signifies the continuation of the close collaboration between the two governments, particularly in areas such as e-government, cloud computing, wireless technologies, and creative industries.

Specifically, the cooperation will seek to exchange best practices and ideas on government service delivery, multimedia and software applications and products, e-commerce, broadband networks and applications, wireless and mobile applications, digital broadcasting, and IT manpower development.

Aiming to improve business agility, enhance service collaboration and operational efficiency, enable effective monitoring of service quality, and provide better customer-centric social security services through multiple channels, CSSS II will replace the existing system that has been used since 2000.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Thursday launched the Digital Policy Office to promote data-driven, people-centric and outcome-based digital policies with a view to bringing greater benefits to residents and business sectors through digital government and smart city development.

Administered by the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau of the HKSAR government, the office comprises a digital government branch, a data governance branch and a digital infrastructure branch. It will promote the application of advanced information technology, advance data sharing, as well as foster industry development.