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New ITSD Director boosts Digital 21 initiatives
03 - 07 - 2001
The new director of the Information Technology Services Department
(ITSD), Mr Alan Wong Chi-kong, has committed himself and his
department to helping implement the various information technology
(IT) initiatives under the Digital 21 Strategy and the policy
objectives set out in the Chief Executive's Policy Address.
On assuming his post as the Director of Information Technology
Services (DITS) today (July 3), Mr Wong said,"As the Government's
IT adviser and facilitator, the ITSD plays a significant role
in driving the Government's IT strategy – the 2001 Digital
21 Strategy."
"Amongst the various initiatives of the Strategy, building an
e-government is the top priority of our work," he said.
Under the e-government strategy, Government will transact internal
business, deliver public services and interact with the public
through electronic means.
He added that to promote a wide adoption of e-business in Hong
Kong, it is essential for the Government to lead by example.
"By adopting e-business best practices and electronic mode of
operations, the Government will be able to enhance efficiency,
optimise the use of limited resources and provide high quality
and customer-oriented services to the general public and the
business sector. These will ultimately help drive the economic
development of Hong Kong.
"In fact, various measures to transform the Government into
an e-government such as developing the necessary information
infrastructure; implementing the Electronic Service Delivery
Scheme; and adopting e-procurement for government purchases
have been taken forward and are making good progress.
"Besides, we will continue to enhance the IT awareness and knowledge
of the community and strengthen our co-operation with the IT
industry and academia to promote the wider use of IT," he said.
Enhancing Hong Kong's e-business environment, developing the
local IT workforce and exploiting enabling technologies are
the other strategic areas of the 2001 Digital 21 Strategy in
which ITSD will play important roles.
Mr Wong said he was very excited with the appointment and welcomed
the opportunity to apply his talents, experience and knowledge
to his new endeavour.
He is confident that he will work very well with the IT professionals
in ITSD whom he considers as the greatest asset of the department.
"In the Information Age, life-long learning is important to
everyone of us, including IT professionals. We must equip ourselves
well to keep pace with the ever changing IT developments and
adapt ourselves readily to the development of an information
economy.
"I therefore attach great importance to the training and development
of staff. I will try to allocate more resources to this area
of activities with a view to promoting a learning culture in
ITSD and turning it into a learning organisation," he said.
Mr Wong has accumulated substantial experience in the strategic
application of IT and the management of IT projects since he
joined the Government in 1979.
He has overseen the development of a number of major IT projects
while serving in different bureaux and departments.
"Those duties have not only built up my experience of working
with IT professionals which has been most useful, but also enriched
my knowledge of the state-of-the-art technologies and management
of IT projects."
When Mr Wong was the Deputy Secretary for Trade and Industry
between 1994 and 1996, he led the development of the Electronic
Data Interchange system for processing trade and customs documentation,
and the drafting of copyright legislation to protect the intellectual
property rights subsisting in computer software. He was also
responsible for enforcement of such legislation against software
piracy.
As the Commissioner of Insurance between 1997 and 1999, Mr Wong
led the Insurance Authority to complete its computerisation
project. He was also actively involved in the "removal" of the
"Millennium Bug" to ensure that the computer systems of the
over 200 insurance companies in Hong Kong were Year 2000 compliant.
Before joining ITSD, Mr Wong was the Deputy Managing Director
of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority. Among his
many duties, he was responsible for the establishment of the
IT Section and the development of the Authority's Information
Management System.
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