Ombudsman Awards Ceremony Honors Public Service Excellence with Record Number of Winners and Attendees

Ombudsman commends excellent public services with annual awards and calls for joint efforts from departments and organisations to enhance governance effectiveness by putting people first

The following is issued on behalf of the Office of The Ombudsman:

At the 29th Presentation Ceremony of The Ombudsman's Awards today (October 30), the Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan, presented seven Organisation Awards, 84 Awards for Public Officers and 15 Team Awards to recognise the outstanding performance of government departments, public organisations, teams and public officers in various areas. The scale of the Awards was further expanded this year, with a record number of departments, organisations, teams and officers receiving the honours, and an attendance exceeding 480 at the ceremony.

Winners of the Organisation Awards this year are the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) (Gold Award), the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) (Silver Award), the Legislative Council Secretariat (LCS) (Bronze Award), the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) (Award on Mediation), the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) (Information Technology Application and Creativity Award), Hongkong Post (Customer Services Award), and the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) (Positive Complaint Award).

Addressing the ceremony, Mr Chan expressed his gratitude for the unswerving support and co-operation of all departments and organisations over the years, as they work together with the Office of The Ombudsman (the Office) towards the continuous betterment and optimisation of public administration in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). He said, "Under my leadership, my Office has upheld the principle of 'calling a spade a spade', performing our duties with independence, objectivity and impartiality following an evidence-based approach. While recognising the outstanding performance of departments and organisations, we also handle cases involving maladministration stringently and fairly. We identify the root causes of problems and put forward practical, actionable recommendations for improvement."

Mr Chan shared the Office's breakthrough results in mediation, interdepartmental collaboration and direct investigation in the previous reporting year, and highlighted the exemplary interdepartmental synergy to tackle the unlawful occupation of government land at Woh Chai Hill in Sham Shui Po, which effectively alleviated public concerns. Introducing the hourglass design of this year's Organisation Award trophies to inspire departments and organisations, Mr Chan said, "When carrying out our work and delivering public services, we must respond to the concerns of the public with efficiency and professionalism, adhere to the 'One Government' mindset, and work together towards the common goals of putting people first, earnestly addressing the public's difficulties and enhancing their sense of happiness and fulfilment."

The C&ED received the Gold Award this year. Playing a crucial role in safeguarding national security, combating smuggling and drug trafficking, and protecting tax revenue, the C&ED has embraced change with an innovative mindset, introducing advanced technologies and AI to implement the Smart Customs Blueprint and thus enhance its enforcement effectiveness and service standards. The measures it adopted to facilitate trade and commerce consolidate Hong Kong's position as an international logistics and trade hub and yield impressive results.

The PCPD, honoured with the Silver Award, has stringently administered the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, proactively refined its case-handling procedures, and efficiently resolved disputes through conciliation. Targeting doxxing and emerging issues such as data security and AI security, the PCPD demonstrates foresight by setting up hotlines and formulating guidelines. It also continues to strengthen publicity and education to raise awareness of privacy protection among the public and organisations.

With high efficiency, the LCS supports the Legislative Council (LegCo) to fulfil its important constitutional functions. The LCS has continued to optimise the workflow of its redress system and adopt innovative technologies, including developing an intelligent transcription system to streamline the production of meeting records, and sharing information through "This Week in LegCo" and other channels for the public to quickly grasp the highlights of LegCo meetings. The LCS received the Bronze Award for exemplifying the principle of people-oriented services.

The LCSD, recipient of the Award on Mediation this year, has used mediation proactively for effective and swift clarification of misunderstandings and resolution of disputes. It promptly addresses public concerns and offers practical solutions, which is conducive to enhancing both service quality and social harmony.

The HKPF was honoured with the Information Technology Application and Creativity Award for advancing smart policing. It has independently developed a range of mobile applications and systems that harness AI to provide more accessible eservices, reinforce protection against fraud and enhance emergency response. The HKPF has also excelled in enhancing public administration and service quality.

Hongkong Post received the Customer Services Award. Dedicated to providing quality, efficient and reliable postal and delivery services, Hongkong Post has actively diversified into crosssector operations, tapped into the ecommerce mail market and elevated the overall customer experience. It has demonstrated excellence in establishing a robust complaint-handling mechanism to optimise services and strengthen complaint management.

This year, the Office introduced a new Positive Complaint Award, which went to the MPFA. Since the launch of the eMPF Platform, the MPFA has faced initial challenges with a constructive and open mindset. After the Office's intervention, the MPFA has worked closely with the Office to resolve disputes swiftly through mediation, while accepting and implementing all of the Office's recommendations. The MPFA has showcased its commitment to turning challenges into opportunities for continuous enhancement of services.

Additionally, the Office presented the Team Awards to 15 teams, including five interdepartmental collaboration teams, and the Awards for Public Officers to 84 individuals from 46 departments and organisations. The awards recognised public officers for their remarkable performance in public service and administration, as well as commitment to the people-oriented principle. The Office also honoured teams for their concerted efforts in enhancing service efficiency.

Mr Chan extended congratulations to all award recipients. In his conclusion, Mr Chan said, "Yesterday, the SAR Government released the report submitted by the Independent Committee in relation to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, and proposed a series of reform measures. My Office and I pledge our wholehearted support to the Government's determination to assume responsibility and spearhead reform. We will work proactively to strengthen public administration and enhance governance effectiveness." He stressed that the Office will spare no effort in fulfilling its supervisory and co-ordinating role, joining forces with departments and organisations to proactively align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan and the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the HKSAR (2026-2030), work together to advance good governance, foster Hong Kong's enduring prosperity and stability, and fully integrate into the overall national evelopment.

A full list of this year's award recipients is in the Appendix.

Ombudsman commends excellent public services with annual awards and calls for joint efforts from departments and organisations to enhance governance effectiveness by putting people first Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Ombudsman commends excellent public services with annual awards and calls for joint efforts from departments and organisations to enhance governance effectiveness by putting people first Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Ombudsman commends excellent public services with annual awards and calls for joint efforts from departments and organisations to enhance governance effectiveness by putting people first Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Ombudsman commends excellent public services with annual awards and calls for joint efforts from departments and organisations to enhance governance effectiveness by putting people first Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Ombudsman commends excellent public services with annual awards and calls for joint efforts from departments and organisations to enhance governance effectiveness by putting people first Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Ombudsman commends excellent public services with annual awards and calls for joint efforts from departments and organisations to enhance governance effectiveness by putting people first Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Ombudsman commends excellent public services with annual awards and calls for joint efforts from departments and organisations to enhance governance effectiveness by putting people first Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Ombudsman commends excellent public services with annual awards and calls for joint efforts from departments and organisations to enhance governance effectiveness by putting people first Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Ombudsman commends excellent public services with annual awards and calls for joint efforts from departments and organisations to enhance governance effectiveness by putting people first Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Ombudsman commends excellent public services with annual awards and calls for joint efforts from departments and organisations to enhance governance effectiveness by putting people first Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

HKICL alerts public of fraudulent websites

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

Hong Kong Interbank Clearing Limited (HKICL) has recently noted two fraudulent websites purported to be from HKICL:

• fpshktk.sbs
• tknewfps.cc

These fraudulent websites imitate as "Buyer Online Protection" to provide services including 1) refund to buyer, 2) unauthorised online transaction reporting, and 3) online transaction support, for online transaction over FPS payment. In addition, they also trick users into providing bank name, bank account number and bank account holder's name to top up and withdraw money from their platforms' virtual wallet. Further, they direct users to a fraudster impersonating as customer service personnel.

HKICL advises that these fraudulent websites have no affiliation with HKICL, or any business of HKICL. HKICL will not directly provide FPS service to individual members of the public or contact individual members of the public proactively under usual circumstance. The genuine official website addresses of HKICL are www.hkicl.com.hk and fps.hkicl.com.hk.

HKICL urges the public to beware of suspicious calls, websites or other communications, and to remain vigilant in protecting personal information. If members of the public receive any suspicious communication purportedly from HKICL, please call HKICL's general line at 2533 1111 to verify. Members of the public who suspect that theyhave become the victim of fraudulent acts should report promptly to the Police.

Source: AI-found images