Opening Ceremony of The Software Exhibition '98 and The 2nd International Conference on Smart Card
Address by Mr K C Kwong, Secretary for Information Technology & Broadcasting

25 November 1998

Mr. Tang, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am honoured to be invited to officiate at the opening ceremony of the Software Exhibition '98 and the 2nd International Conference on Smart Card.

The Chief Executive pledged in his Policy Address this year that we should use IT to help retain our competitive edge and in driving our overall economic expansion. To implement the IT vision of the Chief Executive, the Government has formulated the "Digital 21" IT Strategy. The primary objective of the Strategy is to enhance and promote Hong Kong's information infrastructure and services so as to make Hong Kong a digital city in the globally connected world of the 21st century. One key element of the Strategy is to raise the awareness, confidence and familiarity of the community in the use of IT in all spheres of our lives.

Promotion of the use of IT requires concerted efforts from both the Government and other bodies in the community. I therefore greatly welcome the efforts made by the Hong Kong Productivity Council in organising the Software Exhibition '98 and the 2nd International Conference on Smart Card. This is the 13th year that the Software Exhibition has been held in Hong Kong. It is an annual showcase of the Hong Kong IT sector and it helps the community to increase its knowledge in the use of IT for enhancing productivity and efficiency.

The theme of this year's exhibition is "information technology means increasing productivity for today and a better tomorrow". I hope that through this exhibition, we would all gain insights into how we could better equip ourselves with IT to improve our business operations and various aspects of our daily lives. It is important that we make our investment in IT today in order to build a solid foundation for future growth and to pave the way for a better tomorrow.

And in IT applications, smart cards are fast becoming an indispensable tool to enhance security and ease of use in electronic transactions. The organisation of the 2nd International Conference on Smart Card in Hong Kong is thus timely. The event will enable us to explore the latest technologies, gain market intelligence on the use of smart cards and develop innovative business strategies through smart card applications.

May I take this opportunity to commend the Hong Kong Productivity Council for its good work in organising the Software Exhibition '98 and the 2nd International Conference on Smart Card. I wish both the Exhibition and the Conference every success.

Thank you.

- END -