iAM Smart Platform Wins Hong Kong E-Governance Project of the Year Award at Asia Pacific GovMedia Awards 2026

Digital Policy Office wins Hong Kong E-Governance Project of the Year - Smart Government award at Asia Pacific GovMedia Awards 2026

The Digital Policy Office (DPO) today (July 10) said that its "iAM Smart" one-stop personalised digital services platform won the Hong Kong E-Governance Project of the Year - Smart Government award at the GovMedia Awards 2026 ceremony held in Singapore yesterday. This award recognises the DPO for its leveraging of technology to drive governance transformation as well as for delivering more efficient, transparent and citizen-centric government services.

The award-winning "iAM Smart" has successfully integrated over 1 400 online services from the Government and public and private organisations, as well as government e-forms, achieving a "single portal for online government services". The platform now provides convenient services covering various aspects of daily life to over 4.6 million users in Hong Kong. To strengthen cybersecurity and guard against identity theft, "iAM Smart" has introduced the "Step-up Authentication" function for key processes of online services. By combining facial verification with Near Field Communication technology to read the Hong Kong Identity Card's chip data and matching it against the records of the Immigration Department, the platform prevents identity fraud at source and enhances the security of online services. Additionally, the "iAM Smart" Personal Code enables users to present their identities in the format of a QR code for everyday application scenarios, offering a simple, user-friendly and secure means for identity authentication and registration, while avoiding the disclosure of excessive personal data as a result of the presentation of identity cards.

The DPO will continue to pursue the vision of being citizen-centricto consistently enhance "iAM Smart". The DPO plans to integrate "iAM Smart" with the Digital Corporate Identity Platform and introduce an AI Assistant function within this year. The DPO hopes that "iAM Smart" will further reinforce Hong Kong's leading position among global smart cities.

The GovMedia Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of government projects and initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region and recognise public organisations that demonstrate leadership, creativity and impact in public services.

The Digital Policy Office's "iAM Smart" one-stop personalised digital services platform won the Hong Kong E-Governance Project of the Year - Smart Government award at the GovMedia Awards 2026 ceremony yesterday (July 9). Photo shows Chief Systems Manager (Data Applications), Mr Patrick Lai, delivering a speech at the award presentation ceremony. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Digital Policy Office's "iAM Smart" one-stop personalised digital services platform won the Hong Kong E-Governance Project of the Year - Smart Government award at the GovMedia Awards 2026 ceremony yesterday (July 9). Photo shows Chief Systems Manager (Data Applications), Mr Patrick Lai (centre), and Systems Manager (Data Applications), Mr Heman Tsang (right), attending the ceremony to receive the award. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs seizes illegally imported live birds of suspected scheduled endangered species

Hong Kong Customs yesterday (July 9) seized two illegally imported live birds of a suspected scheduled endangered species, with an estimated market value of about $5,000, at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point.

Customs officers intercepted an incoming 46-year-old local female passenger at the Arrival Hall of the said Control Point yesterday. Upon examination, the two live birds were seized from her backpack. Officers of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) attended the scene for inspection and confirmed that the two live birds were of an endangered species listed in the Appendices to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and regulated under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance in Hong Kong. The case was handed over to the AFCD for follow-up investigation.

Customs reminds the public not to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong.

According to the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance, any person importing, exporting or possessing specimens of endangered species not in accordance with the Ordinance commits an offence and will be liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 years upon conviction with the specimens forfeited.

Under the Public Health (Animals and Birds) Regulations, it is an offence to import any bird unless it is accompanied by a valid health certificate. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $25,000.

Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account(crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Hong Kong Customs seizes illegally imported live birds of suspected scheduled endangered species Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases