Hong Kong's technology minister said the government has faltered in some recent efforts to launch digital initiatives, pledging to learn from the past and improve future services.
Minister of Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong said on Sunday that the administration had implemented more than 200 measures in more than a year, with only a small number experiencing mishaps.
“Regarding those that did not go smoothly, the government expresses its apologies to the public for the inconvenience they caused,” Sun said on a radio program. “We will do better in the future.
“Despite the problems, the government will not slow down its progress in launching more digital services.”
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The authorities are learning from their experience to do better, Sun said, adding that there is a “contradiction” between the acceleration of digital governance and the city's existing IT ecosystem, including government systems.
He added that the government will work to improve its systems, policies and employment issues.
Sun expected that the launch of the Digital Policy Office, proposed in the policy speech in October last year, would help future measures and arrangements.
The minister also said that the authorities aim to roll out 112 more digital initiatives this year and provide online payment options for all paid public services by June.
The government's electronic infrastructure was in the spotlight after major failures at the end of last year.
In November, many residents were unable to book sports venues online when the Department of Leisure and Cultural Services launched the new SmartPLAY booking system. The government later explained that the system failed to handle the large number of users, which rose from a few thousand in the past to about 200,000 on the day of launch.
Authorities have also been criticized for the failure of the electronic voter registration system, which briefly halted voting during last month's district council elections. The government extended voting for hours after the incident, but it sparked criticism from political parties who said their candidates were affected.
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Separately, Sun said about 40 leading IT companies had planned or planned to set up offices in the city after a government crackdown last year.
He said the administration had made some progress toward its goal of attracting 100 technology companies to Hong Kong over five years, which he noted would be a difficult task.
He said a few dozen companies have applied to sign contracts with companies in mainland Chinese cities in the Greater Bay Area to access their data.
The Bay Area is an economic region combining Hong Kong, Macau and nine cities in Guangdong Province with a combined population of 86 million.
Sun said Hong Kong's data is protected under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance and can only be exported outside the city with the permission of individuals.
