XN000022-1986-04-14 — Page 2

MONDAY, APRIL 14, 1986

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MORE SIGNIFICANT ROLE FOR MODERN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY *****

THE RAPID AND FREE TRANSMISSION OF INFORMATION AND THE AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION IN ALL FIELDS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR HONG KONG'S CONTINUING GROWTH AND PROSPERITY, NOT ONLY THROUGH THE TRANSITION TO 1997, NOT ONLY TO 2001, BÚT BEYOND.

THE DEPUTY CHIEF SECRETARY, MR ALAN SCOTT, SAID THIS AT THE OPENING OF THE HONG KONG COMPUTER CONFERENCE 1986 TODAY (MONDAY).

HE SAID HONG KONG BECAME ESTABLISHED AS A LEADING ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CENTRE, BECAUSE ITS PEOPLE WERE QUICK TO RECOGNISE AND ACCEPT NEW INNOVATIONS AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND TO ADAPT THEM FOR THEIR NEEDS.

+ IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ALL OF US, THE GOVERNMENT, THE INDUSTRY AND THE BUSINESS SECTOR TO WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT WE TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF ADVANCED INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS AND SO CONTINUE TO THRIVE ECONOMICALLY, SOCIALLY AND, INDEED, CULTURALLY ON TO 2001' AND BEYOND,+ HE SAID.

HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD EXTENSIVELY USE MODERN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) TO COPE WITH FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS.

HE NEXT YEAR, TWO MAJOR ON-LINE IT SYSTEMS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED FIRST THE TRAVEL, RECORD AND IMMIGRATION CONTROL ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM, AND SECOND, A REFURBISHED COMPUTER ASSISTED COMMAND CONTROL SYSTEM FOR THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE, HE SAID.

THE FIRST SYSTEM WHICH WOULD REPLACE THE MANUAL SYSTEM OF CHECKING RECORDS AT IMMIGRATION CONTROL POINTS SHOULD INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AND SPEED UP CLEARANCE FOR TRAVELLERS. OR AT LEAST HONG KONG RESIDENTS, WHILE THE SECOND WOULD PROVIDE COMPUTER SUPPORT FOR THE POLICE FORCE COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK THROUGHOUT HONG KONG, HE ADDED.

OUTLINING SYSTEMS PLANNED FOR THE FUTURE, MR SCOTT NOTED THAT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY INTENDED TO ACQUIRE A MORE POWERFUL COMPUTER TO PROVIDE AUTOMATIC WEATHER CHART PLOTTING, TO IMPROVE QUALITY CONTROL AND PROCESSING OF WEATHER DATA AND TO PROVIDE NUMERICAL MODELLING FOR FORECASTING AND WARNING SERVICES.

+BY THE END OF 1988, THE MARINE DEPARTMENT HOPES TO HAVE INSTALLED A VESSEL TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR THE WATERS OF HONG KONG AND ITS APPROACHES, WHICH WILL IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW AND ENHANCE SAFETY, HE SAID.

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ON THE PERSONNEL SIDE, MR SCOTT POINTED OUT THAT THE CIVIL SERVICE BRANCH WAS COMPUTERISING ITS PERSONNEL INFORMATION AND STAFF REQUIREMENT FORECASTING SYSTEMS.

/+THE REPLACEMENT