ENG-2006 — Page 419

Communications, the Media and Information Technology | 351

the Central People's Government has granted the System Integration Qualification Certificate to four Hong Kong companies. Further liberalisation measures will go into effect on January 1, 2007. Because of circumstances in Hong Kong, the Ministry of Information Industry has agreed to make permanent some of the transitional arrangements for computer information system integration qualification certification.

E-government

E-government is an integral part 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 stage of e-government under the 2004 Digital 21 Strategy.

Following its aim to use 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 stage of e-government development:

(a) GovHK

GovHK (www.gov.hk) was soft launched in September 2006 as Hong Kong's one-stop shop for online government information and services. It gathers information on matters and services most frequently sought by the general public from different government bureaux and departments. The most frequently asked questions include those about culture, leisure and sports, employment, the environment, and health and medical services. The design and content of the portal will be updated continually.

(b) E-procurement

The Government has formulated a strategy for the public sector to take advantage of e-procurement to improve its efficiency and prices to make it more competitive, and to encourage businesses to make greater use of e-business. The strategy is in line with international best practices, the Government's own procuring and supplying practices, and rules and regulations governing procurement. A pilot e-procurement programme will be implemented subject to funding approval by the Legislative Council. (c) 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 of property information. Subject to the outcome of the tender exercise scheduled for 2007, the hub will be launched in 2008. Through collaboration with the private sector, it will give the public one-stop, user-friendly access to the consolidated property information held by the Government as well as the value-added services to be supplied by private sector partners.

(d) Multiple Applications on the Smart Identity Card

The Immigration Department started issuing smart identity (ID) cards in 2003. In addition to using the card for traditional immigration functions as a means of identification, holders of smart ID cards may also choose to use