GovHK portal enhanced and upgraded

Learn more about the revamped GovHK portal at [www.gov.hk].

The revamped GovHK portal [www.gov.hk] with enhanced design and functions for more efficient delivery of information and user-friendly navigation was officially launched on March 24.

Government Chief Information Officer Jeremy Godfrey said the goal is to make government services as easy, convenient and pleasurable to use as the best offered by the private sector.

The portal is more lively and appealing, with more human touches, a brand new layout, and enriched colors and graphics. Users can personalize the interface by choosing from six colors, including one designed for visually impaired users.

The portal puts together a list of commonly used government forms for users' convenience. Users can easily locate these forms either by topics, such as employment, or by life events, such as moving home. Some forms can be filled out and submitted online.

With more users accessing the Internet while on the move, the mobile version of the portal has also been enhanced to feature the full content of GovHK. The content is packaged in optimal size and format for convenient browsing on mobile devices. With a simplified look and fewer dynamic features, the new mobile/accessible version is also designed to cater to the visually impaired.

In view of the growing popularity of social media, GovHK has incorporated a Web 2.0 element, which provides a sharing function for users to share GovHK content on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

GovHK was launched in 2007 to provide one-stop online government information and services. Since its launch, customer satisfaction surveys have been regularly carried out to gauge users' opinions for service improvement. The revamp has taken into account users' feedback and best practices followed by commercial websites.

Land Auction yields US$432.05 million

A government plot of land in Tseung Kwan O sold for US$432.05 million in the third land auction held by the Lands Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government for the 2009-2010 financial year.

The lot, Tseung Kwan O Town Lot No.76 at Tseung Kwan O Area 66B, Tseung Kwan O, was sold to Group Allied, after an opening bid of US$256.41 million.

Tseung Kwan O Town Lot No.76 has a site area of about 132,396 square feet and is designated for non-industrial (excluding warehouse, hotel and petrol filling station) purposes. A minimum gross floor area of 436,907 square feet must be completed. The maximum gross floor area is 728,178 square feet.

2009 port cargo throughput down 6%

Hong Kong’s total port cargo throughput in 2009 fell 6% to 243 million metric tons compared with a year earlier, according to statistics on vessels, port cargo and containers for the fourth quarter of 2009, released by the Census and Statistics Department. Within this total, inward and outward port cargo dropped by 5% and 9% to 139.3 million metric tons and 103.7 million metric tons, respectively.

In the fourth quarter of 2009, total port cargo throughput rose 5% compared with a year earlier to 64.7 million metric tons.  Within this total, inward and outward port cargo rose by 7% and 3% to 36.9 million metric tons and 27.8 million metric tons, respectively.

During the year, the port of Hong Kong handled 21 million TEUs of containers, a 14% drop compared with 2008. Within this total, laden containers dropped 13% to 17.7 million TEUs, while empty containers fell 21% to 3.3 million TEUs.  Among laden containers, inward containers decreased 12% to 8.7 million TEUs, while outward containers dropped 13% to 9 million TEUs.

In the fourth quarter of 2009, the port of Hong Kong handled 5.6 million TEUs of containers, a 4% decrease year-on-year.  

The number of ocean vessel arrivals in 2009 decreased 8% compared with year earlier to 33,160, with the total capacity down 2% to 377.8 million net registered tons.  Over the same period, the number of river vessel arrivals decreased 5% year-on-year to 172,350, with the total capacity recording virtually no change at 97.3 million net registered tons.

In the fourth quarter of 2009, the number of ocean vessel arrivals decreased 1% compared with a year earlier to 8,530, with the total capacity decreasing by 3% to 93.9 million net registered tons.  Over the same period, the number of river vessel arrivals recorded virtually no change at 43,950, with the total capacity increasing by 6% to 25.0 million net registered tons.

Senior appointments in police force

Approval has been given for the appointment of Lee Ka-chiu as Deputy Commissioner of Police, effective March 8, upon the retirement of Deputy Commissioner (Operations) Yam Tat-wing.

Mr. Lee will take up the post of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Management) while Tsang Wai-hung will assume the post of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) on the same date.

Four other senior promotions were also announced. Hung Hak-wai and Tang How-kong will be promoted to Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police, while Kevin Michael Woods and Fan Sik-ming will be promoted to Assistant Commissioner of Police.
           
Jerry Liu appointed to lead Create Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government appointed Jerry Liu Wing-leung as the Head of Create Hong Kong (CreateHK), effective March 22, following the completion of an open recruitment exercise. More than 150 candidates applied for the post.

Duncan Pescod, Hong Kong Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Communications and Technology), said: “Mr. Liu has extensive experience working in the creative industries, particularly film, television and related sectors. He has sound professional skills and proven management abilities, as well as knowledge of market developments and strategic promotion.

“I have every confidence that he will be able to lead CreateHK to drive the development of the creative industries in Hong Kong,” he added.

Mr. Liu has pursued a career in the film and television-related industry for more than 25 years. He is one of the co-founders of the Media Asia Group of companies and has served in various senior positions in the companies. The group is one of Hong Kong’s leading producers and distributors of Chinese- language films.

Mr. Liu graduated with honors from Vassar College in New York with a degree in drama in 1980.