ENG-2005 — Page 429

Communications, the Media and Information Technology 1 371

allowed to apply for computer information system integration qualification certification in accordance with the provisions of the relevant Mainland rules and regulations with effect from January 1, 2005. A one-year transitional period, during which certain application criteria under the existing regulations were relaxed for Hong Kong service suppliers, took effect on January 1 and was extended for another year until the end of December 2006 The Ministry of the Information Industry of the Central People's Government granted the System Integration Qualification Certificate to two Hong Kong companies in 2005. The Government will continue to consult the industry on further liberalisation of trade in IT-related services between Hong Kong and the Mainland.

E-government

E-government is an integral component of the Government's overall IT strategy. Building on the solid foundation laid down in the past few years, Hong Kong has launched the next wave of e-government under the 2004 Digital 21 Strategy.

Following its vision of using IT to provide customer-centric services that promote an accessible, accountable and efficient government, and contribute to Hong Kong's position as a leading digital city, the Government is pursuing the following key priorities under the next wave of e-government development:

(a) New Strategy for E-government Service Delivery

It is implementing a new strategy for delivering citizen-centric e-government service delivery, whereby a one-stop access portal (OSP) will be developed and related services will be grouped into different service clusters based on citizens' needs and expectations. The OSP, with linkages to various service clusters, will serve as the gateway to all online government information and transactional services. The OSP will be launched before the end of 2006.

(b) Customer Relationship Management

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strategy has been developed and a CRM Guide promulgated to assist government departments to widen and deepen CRM adoption in the planning and implementation of e-government services to achieve the goal of delivering citizen centric services.

(c) E-procurement

The Government has formulated an e-procurement strategy for the public sector to exploit the full potential of e-procurement which enhances internal efficiency, achieves more competitive pricing and encourages e-business in the business/supplier community. The strategy is in line with international best practices, its own procuring and supplying environment and the rules and regulations on government procurement.

(d) Property Information Hub

The Rating and Valuation Department and the Land Registry are planning to set up a Property Information Hub to improve the transparency and efficiency of the property market. Subject to the outcome of the tender exercise scheduled for late 2006, the hub will be launched by the end of