DCS chairs first meeting of AI Efficacy Enhancement Team
The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, chaired the first meeting of the AI Efficacy Enhancement Team today (October 30), co-ordinating policy bureaux and departments (B/Ds) in using artificial intelligence technology to boost governmental efficiency and spur technological innovation. The Team also discussed its work plan and timetable.
Mr Cheuk noted that AI is one of the most influential information technologies nowadays and a key factor in promoting new quality productive forces, smart city and high-quality development. It is also an essential tool for enhancing public governance. To implement the objective of strengthening governance as outlined by the Chief Executive in the 2025 Policy Address, the Team will make good use of co-ordination to steer government departments to effectively apply AI technology to their work, explore process re-engineering, and promote technological reform in departments to improve efficacy, so as to drive government departments to enhance efficacy and better respond to the public's expectations for efficient government and quality public services.
Mr Cheuk added, "The Team will identify departments that can use AI to enhance performance having regard to the following directions. First is departments with greater interface with the public. Second is departments with services drawing much attention from the public. Third is changes that can bring about notable improvements in the departments' work efficiency. Fourth is that members of the public can see obvious changes brought by the enhanced efficacy.
"The Team will identify certain departments with services closely related to citizens' livelihood and work out the details of implementation, with the aim of starting to roll out related projects gradually after six months."
At the meeting, the Team discussed its key focuses and initial work plan. A briefing was given by the Digital Policy Office on the AI toolboxes that can be used in various common administrative procedures such as data collection and analytics, customer service and paperwork.
Members of the AI Efficacy Enhancement Team include:
Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration (Leader)
Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry (Deputy Leader)
Head of Chief Executive's Policy Unit
Permanent Secretary for the Civil Service
Permanent Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Treasury)
Permanent Secretary for Housing
Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry
Commissioner for Census and Statistics
Commissioner for Digital Policy (Secretary-General)
Commissioner for Labour
Commissioner for Transport
Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene
Director of Home Affairs
Director of Leisure and Cultural Services
DCS chairs first meeting of AI Efficacy Enhancement Team Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
DCS chairs first meeting of AI Efficacy Enhancement Team Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Secretary for Health attends 20th Joint Meeting of Senior Health Officials of Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao in Macao
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, led a delegation to attend the 20th Joint Meeting of Senior Health Officials of the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao hosted by the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government in Macao today (January 15).
The annual Joint Meeting has long been a platform for senior medical and health officials as well as experts from the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao to exchange views and share experiences on present-day medical and public health issues, as well as to promote healthcare service development. The Joint Meeting is hosted by the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao in rotation.
The Minister of the National Health Commission, Mr Lei Haichao, and the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, Ms O Lam, led senior health officials from the Mainland and the Macao SAR Government respectively to participate in the meeting. Members of the delegations of the three places today engaged in sharing and discussions over three major topics, namely nurturing interdisciplinary and composite talent in clinical management, disease prevention and control, and medical administration; strengthening primary healthcare services to safeguard community health, and the application of smart healthcare in the health sector.
Professor Lo said, "The Recommendations of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, adopted at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, features the term 'reform' 23 times, unequivocally underscoring the nation's steadfast commitment to deepening reforms. Hong Kong has consistently been playing an active role in the course of the country's reform and opening up. Serving as a 'super connector' between the Mainland and the world, Hong Kong also functions as an indispensable 'super value-adder', facilitating the nation's effort in going global while attracting foreign investment to the Mainland market.
"The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has consistently emphasised in the Policy Addresses of the past three years the HKSAR Government's full commitment to developing Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub, and to vigorously foster new quality productive forces. To achieve this significant objective, the HKSAR Government is actively advancing various initiatives, including the setting up of the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation within this year, with a view to establishing the Centre as an internationally recognised regulatory authority for medical products as soon as possible; the official launch of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) Clinical Trial Collaboration Platform last month, enabling pharmaceutical companies to conduct trials simultaneously in Hong Kong and Shenzhen; as well as the commissioning of the Real-World Study and Application Centre to promote the standardisation of clinical data across the GBA."
The Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority (HA), Dr Libby Lee, and the Director of Cluster Services of the HA, Dr Wong Yiu-chung, moderated a discussion and gave a presentation on the application of smart healthcare in the health sector respectively. Meanwhile, the acting Deputy Director of Health, Dr Jackie Leung, and the Commissioner for Primary Healthcare, Dr Pang Fei-chau, delivered presentations on the topic of nurturing interdisciplinary and composite talent in clinical management, disease prevention and control, and medical administration; as well as on the topic of strengthening primary healthcare services to safeguard community health respectively.
Members of the HKSAR Government delegation included the Chairman of the HA, Mr Henry Fan, and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, who concluded the discussion at the meeting.
Professor Lo will return to Hong Kong in the evening. During his absence, the Under Secretary for Health, Dr Cecilia Fan, is the Acting Secretary for Health.
Secretary for Health attends 20th Joint Meeting of Senior Health Officials of Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao in Macao Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Secretary for Health attends 20th Joint Meeting of Senior Health Officials of Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao in Macao Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
