Efficiency Office
The “Be the Smart Regulator” (BTSR) Programme and the “Streamlining of Government Services” (SGS) Programme, coordinated by the Efficiency Office (EffO) of the Innovation and Technology Bureau, aim to drive continuous improvement amongst bureaux/departments (B/Ds) in the delivery of licensing and other government services involving application and approval through adoption of innovation and technology (I&T), business/regulatory reviews and process streamlining.
In the past year, over 160 business facilitation/streamlining initiatives were completed by participating B/Ds, benefitting both the trade community and the public. Examples include the development of online platforms for application submission, payment and issuance of electronic licences/approval notifications; simplification of application requirements and processes; provision of tracking facilities; and integration with “iAM Smart” to provide users with a seamless experience in their transactions with the Government.
As part of the Government’s efforts in developing Hong Kong into a smart city leveraging I&T, participating B/Ds have been working full steam to digitise their services—further enhancing the accessibility, convenience and efficiency of public services. The target is that by by mid-2022, e-licensing will be implemented for all licence applications, and applications for other government services can be submitted electronically, except for those with legal/operational constraints. For more details and updates about the programmes, please visit the EffO’s website: http://www.effo.gov.hk.
