ENG-2007 — Page 423

Communications, the Media and Information Technology | 359

Harbour Building Post Office and Garden Road Post Office) were closed down either to make way for development or due to low utilisation and high operation costs.

Supporting the New Era of E-Commerce

To promote the growth of e-commerce in the region, Hongkong Post joined hands with major online portals to conduct regular seminars, streamline workflow and provide value-added services for local businesses.

Faced with increased pressure from the customs authorities of the European Union, Japan and the United States, which require pre-declaration of postal items, Hongkong Post developed and put on trial a web tool for merchants in Hong Kong to declare the content of mail items for customs authorities while allowing them to streamline the mail preparation and posting processes.

Boosting the Efficacy of International Mail

Hongkong Post serves as an international hub for postal administrations in the Asia-Pacific region as well as the rest of the world. Using the Transit Mail Enquiry System developed by Hongkong Post, postal administrations can easily track mailbags sent to Hongkong Post for onward transit.

Active Participation in the International Postal Arena

Hongkong Post participated in various regional and international meetings organised by the Universal Postal Union (UPU) and the Asian-Pacific Postal Union in pursuit of performance excellence, partnership and product development within the postal community. Representing China, Hongkong Post co-chaired meetings of the UPU Terminal Dues Project Group and served as a board member in both the UPU Express Mail Service Cooperative and the Asia Pacific Post Cooperative.

In November, Hongkong Post was elected to chair the Asia Pacific Post Cooperative to lead the postal business development and service improvement in the region.

Websites

Government Home Page: www.gov.hk

Commerce and Economic Development Bureau: www.cedb.gov.hk

(links to related departments and agencies)

Digital 21 Strategy: www.info.gov.hk/digital21

E-government in Hong Kong: www.info.gov.hk/digital21/e-gov Cyberport: www.cyberport.com.hk

Digital television: www.digitaltv.gov.hk

Broadcasting Authority: www.hkba.hk

Film Development Council: www.fdc.gov.hk

Radio Television Hong Kong: www.rthk.org.hk

Office of the Telecommunications Authority: www.ofta.gov.hk Access to Government Information: www.access.gov.hk

Home Affairs Bureau: www.hab.gov.hk

Information Services Department: www.isd.gov.hk

Government's e-bulletin: www.news.gov.hk

Hongkong Post: www.hongkongpost.com