MR CHAN CHUN-YING(in Cantonese):
President and Chief Executive, I have always been supportive of the development of Hong Kong into a smart city. At the end of December last year, the Government launched a one-stop personalized digital services platform called “iAM Smart“, which aims at enabling members of the public to access online services through the mobile app. I have downloaded “iAM Smart” and registered as a user. This platform can indeed connect to many online services of the Government and public utilities, including identity authentication, automatic form filling and personalized notification. However, if I want to use the digital signing function for such purposes as renewal of vehicle licences and filing tax return, I have to bring along my identity card and go to the registration service counter located at any of the 121 post offices in Hong Kong for an upgrade to “iAM Smart+“. Only then can I use it.
Actually, when people register for “iAM Smart“, they already need to use their mobile phones to scan their identity cards. They also need to take selfies for identity verification by the computer system of the Immigration Department. In addition, the design of the digital signing function requires users to go to the post office with their identity cards to queue up for an upgrade. Under the present epidemic, the post offices have cut down the service hours, and there are often many people waiting at the counters, which makes users feel very bad. Currently, bank account opening can already be done online in Hong Kong. Yet registration for “iAM Smart” has to be conducted in two steps, and upgrade cannot be carried out online. It is indeed a bit behind the times. As such, I believe it can hardly attract a large number of people to try it and register.
Chief Executive, since “iAM Smart” is an important digital facility to promote the development of Hong Kong into a smart city, the Government should launch the service with user experience in mind. Only then will members of the public be willing to use it. Will the Government consider enhancing the function of digital signing by including it in the registration for “iAM Smart” such that members of the public can use this service more conveniently?
CHIEF EXECUTIVE(in Cantonese):
President, I thank Mr CHAN for recommending “iAM Smart” introduced by us in December. I understand that Mr CHAN wants us to bring greater convenience to the public in the application of technologies but there are certain statutory requirements for digital signing. As currently required by the Electronic Transactions Ordinance, since digital signing is used for applications for e-Certs, it is necessary to verify the applicant’s identity in a relatively stringent manner and in person. For this reason, the registration for “iAM Smart+” requires identity verification to be conducted in person once―only once―after which “iAM Smart+” can be used worry-free. Under our present arrangement, those who are interested may go to any of the post offices, totalling more than 120 as Mr CHAN said just now, for identity verification by postal officers. We will explore where we can set up more verification kiosks in the future. For example, our colleagues are thinking about facilitating identity verification for members of the public visiting the vaccination centres, which will be commissioned in the 18 districts shortly, particularly since people may have 10 to 20 minutes’ spare time having nothing to do there after receiving the vaccination. We will try to use some technologies to facilitate the public to make applications by setting up some counters there so that people may make the registration concurrently. With “iAM Smart+”, it will be much more convenient to use other digital services afterwards. Such is the present plan. Thank you, Mr CHAN.
MR CHAN CHUN-YING(in Cantonese):
I am glad to hear the Chief Executive say that there will be continual improvement in this service. However, actually I have noticed that many government services failed to take into account the personal experience of members of the public as users after being launched. Very often, improvement did not start until many different voices had emerged in society. I suggest that the Government employ a batch of government service experience investigators under the Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office. Their job is different from that of the Audit Commission. The Audit Commission is responsible for value for money audit, whereas their job is to try out the government services one by one to see if it feels good as a user, with a view to making improvement. I hope the Chief Executive will consider this suggestion.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE(in Cantonese):
It is a very good suggestion. As a matter of fact, currently, it should be the Business Facilitation Advisory Committee under the Innovation and Technology Bureau which tells us how to facilitate business. Mr CHAN’s view is that a committee or focused group should be set up to facilitate the use of technologies by the public and gauge their new views on the application of our various types of technologies. Thank you, Mr CHAN.