XN000022-1982-01-04 — Page 3

MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 1982

2

COMPUTERS SAVE RESOURCES AND IMPROVE SERVICES

****

COMPUTER ISATION OF RECORD-KEEPING AND OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES IN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS HAS BROUGHT ABOUT GREAT SAVINGS IN COST AS WELL AS IMPROVED AND MORE EXPEDITIOUS SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC.

-

THE COMPUTER SYSTEM SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCES MANPOWER COST$ AND EXPENSIVE STORAGE SPACE AND ELIMINATES AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF PAPERWORK, MR STEPHEN LAU, MANAGER OF THE DATA PROCESSING DIVISION WHICH IMPLEMENTS AND MONITORS ALL GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATIVE COMPUTER SYSTEMS, EXPLAINED.

IT HAS ALSO PERMITTED THE INTRODUCTION OF THE LATEST MANAGEMENT-CONTROL TECHNIQUES INTO GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS.

CITING EXAMPLES TO SUPPORT HIS CLAIMS, HE SAID +FOR INSTANCE, COMPUTER ISATION OF CERTAIN GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS SUBSTANTIALLY SHORTENS THE WAITING TIME FOR A NUMBER OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES.+

+IT ALSO MAKES IT EASIER TO CATCH LAW BREAKERS BECAUSE OF THE EASE AND SPEED AT WHICH THE COMPUTERS WOULD ENABLE INVESTIGATORS TO COLLECT THE NECESSARY INFORMATION.

+TAX DODGERS WOULD HAVE A MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TIME TRYING TO GET AWAY WITH CHEATING THE GOVERNMENT PURSE BECAUSE IN CONTRAST TO THE PREVIOUS LABORIOUS MANUAL SYSTEM OF KEEPING FILES ON ONE INDIVIDUAL IN DIFFERENT SECTIONS, THE INLAND REVENUE DEPARTMENT'S COMPUTER SYSTEM NOW PERMITS A QUICK AND COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF ALL THE ASSETS, LIABILITIES AND INCOME OF AN INDIVIDUAL.

IT

THE DATA PROCESSING DIVISION HAS INDEED COME A LONG WAY SINCE IT BEGAN OPERATIONS IN 1968 WITH A 16K 1902 COMPUTER FOR PROCESSING THE SECONDARY SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION AND TRADE STATISTICS. AFTER GOING THROUGH ITS EARLY TEETHING PROBLEMS, HAS SINCE INTRODUCED MANY ADVANCED PROGRAMME PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT CONTROL TECHNIQUES TO MORE THAN 30 GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS THROUGH COMPUTER APPLICATIONS.

AN

OF THE MORE THAN TO SYSTEMS IMPLEMENTED OR UNDER IMPLEMENTATION FOR GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, THE MOST NOTABLE ONES ARE THE INLAND REVENUE DATABASE SYSTEM, THE VEHICLE AND DRIVING LICENSING DATA SYSTEM (VALID) FOR THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT, THE IMMIGRATION TRAFFIC INDEX FOR THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT INVENTORY CONTROL SYSTEM FOR THE SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT, THE NOMINAL INDEX SYSTEM FOR THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE AND THE TEXTILE QUOTA LICENSING SYSTEM FOR THE EEC COUNTRIES FOR THE TRADE, INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT.

SUMMING UP