ENG-2001 — Page 457

COMMUNICATIONS, THE MEDIA AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

The $100 million Film Development Fund, which was established in 1999, provides financial support to a wide variety of projects that can enhance the professional and technological capabilities of the film industry so as to strengthen its competitiveness. By the end of the year, a total of $30 million had been approved for 35 projects to promote the development of the local film industry. They included training courses, workshops, seminars, consultancy studies, surveys, film awards presentation ceremonies, overseas promotional projects as well as sponsorship for Hong Kong films' participation in overseas film festivals. In May, a large-scale promotional project sponsored by the fund and jointly organised by the Film Services Office, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Hong Kong Tourism Board was launched during the Cannes International Film Festival, and boosted the popularity of Hong Kong films in overseas markets. In August, the results of a survey sponsored by the fund on the movie-going habits of local people were released.

To encourage infrastructural investment in film production and to sustain Hong Kong's growth as a major film production centre, a site in Tseung Kwan O, designated for film production facilities, was put out for tender in March 2000 and the tender was awarded in August that year. This followed the award of another site designated for film production use in August 1998.

Postal Services

Hongkong Post provides reliable, efficient and universal postal services at affordable prices to meet the needs of Hong Kong and its international postal obligations. Since August 1, 1995, Hongkong Post has operated as a trading fund department. This gives it a higher degree of flexibility in resource management and enables it to respond more effectively to changes in markets and customer needs, improve productivity, efficiency and customer service, and introduce new services to its

customers.

During the year, Hongkong Post handled 1.37 billion items of mail, or a daily average of 3.8 million items, representing an increase of 2.2 per cent over 2000. Local mail accounted for 84.7 per cent of the items processed and overseas mail for 15.3 per cent. Some 11 528 tonnes of letter mail and 1 949 tonnes of parcels were dispatched overseas by air, representing a decrease of 1.6 per cent on 2000. The United States, the Mainland, the United Kingdom, Japan and Taiwan were Hongkong Post's major partners in letter mail while Japan, the United States, Canada, the Mainland and Taiwan were its major partners in parcels.

Performance pledges are published for the delivery of mail, philatelic, counter and public Certification Authority services. Hongkong Post achieved a very high performance level in most of its pledges. In particular, it was able to maintain a success rate of 98.5 per cent for next day delivery of local letters.

In March, an independent firm was appointed to conduct the fifth annual public perception survey on Hongkong Post's services. The overall satisfaction levels remained high, with some 97 per cent, 97 per cent and 98 per cent of customers in the general public, business and philately groups respectively being satisfied or very satisfied with Hongkong Post's services. Most importantly, Hongkong Post has ranked second among the best service organisations for two years in a row.

Hongkong Post chose 'Care from the Heart' as the theme for developing its service culture in 1998. To sustain this customer service culture and a spirit of teamwork in

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