XN000022-1995-10-18 — Page 29

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These figures were released in the second Annual Report of the Land Registry Trading Fund tabled by the Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands, Mr Bowen Leung, in the Legislative Council this (Wednesday) afternoon. According to the report, the registry had met all the performance targets and financial objectives during its second year of operation.

"The key to our success in running our operations is that we focus on satisfying customer needs and expectations, managing financial and human resources flexibly and effectively and securing staff commitment to deliver customer-based services," the Land Registrar and General Manager of the Land Registry Trading Fund, Mr Kenneth Pang, said in the report.

In delivering new and improved services to meet the needs of its customers, Mr Pang said an extremely fast and convenient land search facility called "Direct Access Services" had been launched.

"This new service enables customers to make on-line searches of the computerised land registers and place orders for copies of land records through their own office computer terminals without having to call at the Land Registry offices.

"The scope of such services is being progressively expanded as more and more registers in the New Territories are computerised," he said.

The report also pointed out that the Registry was in the process of setting up a Document Imaging System to convert paper land documents into electric images to be stored on optical disks. The system would provide very fast and efficient record retrieval and delivery services to the users.

Looking ahead, Mr Pang said the Land Registry would continue to press on with its efficiency improvement projects and to further upgrade its service.

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"When all the major development projects are completed in about two years, Mr Pang said, "the Land Registry will have a fully computerised and unified Land Register for the whole territory.

"All users will then be able to lodge deeds for registration in respect of properties in any district with a central registration office.

"They can also make land searches and obtain copies of land documents in respect of any properties in the territory at any one of the Registry's office or direct from computer terminals at their own offices," he said.