In light of the epidemic, the government has expedited its work in taking forward e-Government by providing more electronic services to make it easier for enterprises and individuals to submit applications, make payments, obtain licences and use government services. By mid-2022, unless there are legal or operational constraints, all government forms and licence applications can be submitted electronically. Besides, e‑payment options (including the Faster Payment System) will be available for making payments in respect of most government bills and licences starting from mid-2022.
In recent years, the number of research personnel and the number of staff members of start-ups in Hong Kong have increased substantially. To nurture I&T talent, the Education Bureau has implemented a number of measures to promote STEM education, including curriculum updating, providing professional training for teachers, subsidising and organising large-scale learning activities, such as the STEM Education Fair. The Standing Committee on STEM Education of the Curriculum Development Council steers and promotes the long-term development of STEM education in primary and secondary schools, as well as reviews continuously the relevant curriculum.
The IT Innovation Lab in Secondary Schools Programme has received positive response since its launch. Chan will set aside over HK$200 million to extend the programme to primary schools. Funding of up to HK$400,000 will be provided to each subsidised primary school in the coming three school years, thereby rolling out a “Knowing More About IT” Programme to enhance students’ interests and knowledge in information technology and their applications through extra-curricular activities, so as to prepare them for integration into the knowledge-based economy and participation in the development of a digital society. The OGCIO will set up a one-stop support centre to provide assistance for primary schools.
Last year, Chan earmarked HK$40 million to implement a pilot scheme, under which subsidies are provided for students who study science and technology in local universities to enrol in short-term I&T related internships. More than 1,600 students and over 1,000 enterprises participated in the scheme. Eighty per cent of the interns indicated that they would consider pursuing a career in I&T after graduation. Given the overwhelming responses, Chan announced that the scheme would be regularised.
The Government will launch a Global STEM Professorship Scheme in the first half of this year to support universities in attracting world-renowned I&T scholars and their teams to Hong Kong to participate in STEM teaching and research. The scheme will involve an expenditure of about HK$2 billion, which will be borne by the Government, the universities and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.
Job opportunities and continuous training are also crucial for nurturing the I&T talent. In the past three years, the Research Talent Hub has funded over 3,700 R&D positions. Among those engaged, about 1,400 are postdoctoral talent. The Re-industrialisation and Technology Training Programme provided on-the-job training for over 3,500 employees of some 1,800 enterprises so as to enable them to have a better grasp of the development of the new economy and I&T. The Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme launched early this year also provides around 700 I&T places to encourage enterprises to employ Hong Kong’s university graduates so that the latter can undertake I&T-related work and receive on-the-job training in Hong Kong and another city in GBA.
In the past three years, the Government has allocated over HK$100 billion to support the development of I&T. The Government already has eight unicorns, making Hong Kong comparable to many larger economies. Despite the huge challenges imposed by the epidemic as well as the internal and external environments, I am convinced that the promotion of I&T is the right direction for the long-term development of Hong Kong.
The “iAM Smart”, a one-stop personalised digital service platform, was launched at the end of last year. The HKMA is currently working with the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) to develop the business version of the “iAM Smart” digital authentication platform. It can be used to authenticate the identity of enterprises through an electronic channel. With the wide adoption of “iAM Smart” in various electronic government services, members of the public can choose to obtain their data kept by individual government departments via electronic means, and submit such data electronically when applying for services from financial institutions. In addition, the HKMA has earlier announced the development of “Commercial Data Interchange”, which will allow commercial services operators to submit customers’ data to financial institutions under the instruction and consent of their corporate customers so as to assist them in the application for services.
On digital infrastructure, the coverage of 5G network in Hong Kong is now over 90 per cent. The subsidy scheme for expanding fibre-based network to villages in remote areas will be completed in phases from this year onwards. The Government will continue to support the development of 5G networks and applications; release more 5G spectrum in different frequency bands; facilitate the setting up of radio base stations by operators at suitable government venues and public facilities; assist in the relocation of the Tai Po satellite earth stations; and provide land at Chung Hom Kok Teleport for the development of infrastructure to connect with external telecommunications facilities.
