Hong Kong SAR Government has been trying to keep up with recent increases in e-government strategies and developments from across the region.
At a recent Legislative Council meeting, Mr. Nicholas W Yang, Secretary for Innovation and Technology, answered questions about how the government is enhancing the quality of public services while taking advantage of innovative technology and e-service platforms.
Mr. Yang was prompted to deliver a status update on the amount of public services made available online and how the government may use data analytics to further optimise e-services.
“Through the launch of e-government services, the Government endeavours to deliver public services in an efficient and convenient manner with a view to bringing convenience to the people and enhancing their quality of living,” Mr. Yang stated, “The Government will continue to enhance online services by further digitising the process of online submission of government forms in order to meet rising public expectations and demand for e-government services, as well as improve internal efficiency.”
In delivering e-services, the user must always be kept in mind. As Hong Kong Government moves towards a more digitised approach, it may want to practice more agile service development, as we have seen in countries like Singapore and Australia.
“Among the 900-odd public services currently provided by government departments, more than 730 services already accept online applications,” explained Mr. Yang, “The public services that do not accept online applications at the present stage [may be] due to factors such as resources and internal operational process.”
Hong Kong Government has over 730 government services already provided online, this accounts for about 80 percent of its total public services offered.
This shows that the government recognises the importance of transforming their services to better serve citizens, while taking the increasing rate of internet users into account.
With this, HK SAR Government has room to develop upon these existing online services by using advanced big data to its advantage.
“The OGCIO will explore the use of big data analytics within the Government, and formulate data standards for the sharing and linking of data sources in order to launch more and better electronic public services,” Mr. Yang announced.
These efforts mimic those of other governments to provide centralised services for government IT advancement. By doing so, it makes it easier for government agencies to improve their service delivery and take on a more citizen centric approach.
Image from www.gov.hk
