ENG-2006 — Page 430

362 Communications, the Media and Information Technology

Film classification standards are kept in line with society's expectations by regular surveys of community views and consultation with a statutory panel of advisers, comprising about 250 members drawn from different levels of society.

The Board of Review (Film Censorship), a statutory body established under the Film Censorship Ordinance, is empowered to review the film censors' decisions on film classifications upon request. The board comprises nine non-official members appointed by the Chief Executive, plus the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology as an ex officio member.

Postal Services

Established in 1841, Hongkong Post enjoys a proud heritage and an excellent record of providing a reliable and affordable postal service to the community. Today, Hongkong Post handles 3.6 million pieces of mail items each day and plays an important role in facilitating Hong Kong's trade and commerce.

Since operating as a trading fund in 1995, Hongkong Post has improved its service in terms of both quality and product range. In the 2006 Consumer Satisfaction Index conducted by the City University of Hong Kong, postal services came first among 68 major local goods and services surveyed, an indication that consumer satisfaction has reached an all time high. Independent public perception surveys also ranked Hongkong Post as one of the city's top three service organisations. eight years in a row.

Mail Volumes

In 2006, Hongkong Post handled approximately 1.3 billion pieces of mail items, serving 2.8 million residential and business addresses. This represents an increase of 4 per cent over the 2005 mail volume. Local mail contributed 87 per cent to the total mail handled.

Speedpost

Speedpost, the international courier service of Hongkong Post, was awarded the Gold Level Certification for the fifth year in a row, the highest recognition given in the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Express Mail Service Cooperative's Audit and Measurement Programme.

Promoting Philately

As always, Hongkong Post's beautifully designed stamps proved to be collector's items. The 'Fireworks' collection, the pioneering showcase of crystal fabric technology, was jointly issued with Austrian Post. Besides, the China Post, Hongkong Post and Macao Post also jointly adopted 'Charming Chinese Lanterns' as the theme of one of their stamps. Themes of other stamps depicted the Year of the Dog, children's stories such as Dress Bear Up and Chinese idioms, and city topics such as Hong Kong's 18 Districts and Government Transport. Commemorative themes included the International Day of Peace, the 140th Birth Anniversary of Dr Sun Yat- sen and the prepaid postcards for the hosting of the ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006 in Hong Kong.