ENG-2009 — Page 427

Communications, the Media and Information Technology | 355

To make the most of the benefits from this public resource, the Government has been working closely with the HKIRC in recent years to instigate changes to the institutional framework. The new governance arrangements have been progressively put in place, including simplified membership classes, a smaller Board of Directors to focus on corporate governance, and a new advisory panel to engage stakeholders to advise the Board and to enhance transparency on its activities. A new Memorandum of Understanding has been adopted between HKIRC and the Government that sets out the duties of the company to conduct its activities in an open and transparent

manner.

The internet is evolving to accept domain names in different local languages. To benefit the Chinese-speaking community in accessing the internet, the Government supports HKIRC in making arrangements for the Chinese language domain '.' to be introduced in Hong Kong.

IT Manpower

The Government is committed to creating an environment where a well qualified IT workforce can flourish and meet the needs of a digital economy. The Government has been working closely with industry and academia to facilitate continued upgrading of the IT workforce. It has been providing sponsorship for an annual IT exchange programme since 2002 to expose students to IT projects in overseas and Mainland universities. The Government has also sponsored the implementation of an IT internship programme, which provides opportunities for IT graduates to gain practical working experience.

On the industry side, through Government sponsorship, the Hong Kong Computer Society is implementing a Certification System for IT Professional Qualifications in collaboration with other IT professional bodies.

Hong Kong as a Hub for Technological Co-operation and Trade Facilitating the IT Industry

The Government has introduced a range of measures to cultivate a vibrant, competitive and innovative ICT industry. They help to increase business opportunities, improve service quality, build expertise and provide financial and infrastructural support.

The Government has been adopting an aggressive outsourcing policy for its IT projects. This, together with programmes aimed at promoting the use of IT in business and the community, has created a good environment for the local industry's growth. The Government will continue to help the industry to explore business opportunities in Mainland and overseas markets. For example, the Government supports relevant industry bodies in organising overseas trade missions to explore software outsourcing business opportunities.

To assist Hong Kong service suppliers in entering the Mainland market and obtaining third-party accreditation for their services, the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) allows them to apply for Computer Information System Integration (SI) Qualification Certification. Also under CEPA, Guangdong and Hong