Enhanced Productivity Programme 1999-2000

3 Key New or Improved Services

Part A

ANALYSIS OF INITIATIVES OF GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND GOVERNMENT SUBVENTED ORGANISATIONS BY POLICY AREA GROUP

	$million (at 1999-2000 Estimated prices)

Health	250 ____________
Shorten waiting time for first attendance in Hospital Authority's specialist outpatient clinics in four specialities from the present 11 to 18 weeks to 9 weeks Increase the number of cataract surgery operations in Hospital Authority institutions by 1 300 a year Open 120 additional infirmary beds in the Chesire Home, Chung Hom Kok Introduce nuclear medicine to complement other imaging modalities in radiological examination for about 1 100 patients a year in Kwong Wah Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital Increase the number of consultations in Department of Health's general out-patient clinics : by 79 000 attendances for episodic illnesses and 60 000 attendances for chronic patients Provide 20 000 additional annual assessment for diabetic patients Increase the enrolment in Department of Health's Elderly Health Centres by 2 070 Enhance radiography service in Department of Health's Kowloon Bay Health Centre by additional 29 000 plain X-ray and 1 600 special X-ray examinations a year


Social Welfare	38 ____________
Provide Dementia Supplements to more elderly in residential care Strengthen Social Welfare Department's Service Performance Section to implement the output monitoring system of welfare services Set up in Social Welfare Department a Contract Management Unit to support initiatives in contracting out Provide an additional 48 integrated child care centre places Establish five teams to examine the eligibility for admission into residential care homes for the elderly


Security	101 ____________
Provide 24 additional posts to cope with increase in workload on visa control Provide 172 additional police officers to strengthen operational front-line capability in the maintenance of law and order Enhance the operational capability of the Marine Police Enhance personal computer capabilities in the Police to meet present-day operational needs Conduct on a pilot basis training on cardiac pulmonary resuscitation by Fire Services Department's ambulance staff for staff of elderly homes to optimise the survival rate of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest Reduce the processing time for applications for licences for - dangerous goods manufacture and storage from 30 to 28 working days dangerous goods vehicles from 7 to 6 working days registration of premises referred from other departments from 30 to 28 working days Operate a structured therapeutic programme to assist mentally handicapped inmates to adjust to the environment in penal institutions Expand the Narcotics Detector Dog Unit of the Customs and Excise Department Set up two additional Master's courts and two additional Labour Tribunal courts to cope with increased workload Operate night courts in the Labour Tribunal to cope with additional workload

Economic	69 ____________
*Employment*
Conduct 3 000 more inspections to workplaces to enforce labour legislation and combat illegal employment Promote the use of written contract and help small and medium enterprises understand their statutory obligations Enhance career advisory service provided to young people Expand the training capacity of Vocational Training Council's Hotel Industry Training Centre Establish an Information Technology Development Centre and a Financial Service Centre by Vocational Training Council to enhance training in these areas

*Financial Services*
Advance the release of the Annual Survey of Industrial Production by 3 months Improve the frequency of conducting wage survey from half-yearly to quarterly


*Trade and Industry*
Enhance the efficiency and standard of the licensing service for strategic commodities and reduce licence processing time by 20% Reduce processing time to issue 70% of examination reports/responses to trade mark applicants from 8 months to 6 months Enhance services to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by Hong Kong Productivity Council through setting up an SME Clinic, hotline service, information technology and video conferencing, demonstration and related services


Infrastructure	55 ____________
*Buildings, Lands and Planning*
Increase capability to process 9 000 more applications annually for issue of certified copies of Occupation Permits (from 13 000 to 22 000) to meet the projected increase in demand Set up a permanent Buildings Department Plan Retrieval Unit to shorten the average waiting time for viewing of building records from 70 days to 35 days Increase number of buildings to be inspected by 250 from 1 850 to 2 100 to enforce building legislation Increase number of building site inspections by 220 from 4 080 to 4 300

*Transport*
Provide 300 public lighting points in rear lanes Provide through internal redeployment professional and technical support for a number of highways projects Provide resources for enhancing co-ordination on conflicting utilities road opening works


Others	142 ____________
Set up an Electoral Information Centre to provide the community with more information on elections Set up a one-stop enquiry service in Inland Revenue Department to answer enquiries on individual tax issues Organise fire safety activities by Home Affairs Department to improve awareness among owners and residents Commission a new management course by the J F Kennedy School of Government of the Harvard University and a new China Studies course by a Mainland University by Civil Service Training and Development Institute Enlarge library collection, enhance research support to the Legislative Council and enhance public education about Council activities by Legislative Council Secretariat Promote wider use of information technology in the community

Part B

ANALYSIS OF INITIATIVES OF TRADING FUNDS DEPARTMENTS

Trading Fund departments are self-financing accounting entities providing services on a commercial or quasi-commercial basis. All the five Trading Fund departments have participated in EPP. Productivity gains achieved will be reflected in the pricing of their services. For example -

The Electrical and Mechanical Services Trading Fund will return savings of $90 million achieved through technology and process improvements to customers by reducing the magnitude of price changes for 1999-2000 to inflation minus 5%; and
The Land Registry Trading Fund will achieve savings of $11 million through stringent control of cost and productivity gains and minimise the level of 1999-2000 fee increase, if any.

The Trading Funds have also pledged service improvements through productivity gains. These include -

The Post Office Trading Fund to introduce a Public Certification Authority service in 1999-2000 for e-commerce service providers
The Companies Registry Trading Fund to provide on-line search facilities for the public
The Electrical and Mechanical Services Trading Fund to provide support for the development of energy saving programmes in government departments to reduce electricity charges
The Office of the Telecommunications Authority to provide licence application service on the Internet for a number of telecommunication licenses

ANALYSIS OF INITIATIVES OF HOUSING AUTHORITY, PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL AND PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL

Although financially autonomous and technically not falling under EPP, the Housing Authority, the Provisional Urban Council and the Provisional Regional Council are supportive of EPP.

The Housing Authority has included in its 1999-2000 Corporate Plan contribution to EPP as one of its pledges. It has identified a number of immediate areas of productivity enhancements which can be introduced in 1999-2000. By reviewing overtime payments, improving deployment of staff, streamlining processes, outsourcing work and other initiatives, it is working towards achieving recurrent savings of $117 million in 1999-2000. Through the introduction of a revised competitive tendering system for works-related consultancy work, savings of $140 million in capital expenditure may materialise in 1999-2000.

In response to EPP and in the face of reduced income, the Urban Services Department aims to save $340 million of expenditure in 1999-2000. The savings will arise largely from various staffing reviews to reassess the manning ratios of facilities, further contracting out of services and tighter control over operating costs. Furthermore, the department will strive to achieve a net decrease in its establishment despite the numerous Council facilities which are due for commissioning soon, including the Central Library, two museums, four urban markets and 13 other recreational venues and facilities. The savings will be used to fund new and improved services, for example, enhancing street, toilet, market and beach cleansing services, organising spectacular exhibitions, and other cultural and sports activities.

The Provisional Regional Council has endorsed the EPP initiative and directed the Regional Services Department to exercise economy and prudence in managing the Council's resources. In drawing up estimates for 1999-2000, the department has therefore trimmed budgeting requirements by $440 million. In addition, the department has initially identified some 38 areas for productivity gains amounting to $37 million. This is primarily achieved by enhancing the cost-effectiveness and productivity of street cleansing and refuse collection teams, expanding the scope for contracting out municipal services, redeploying staff and employing contract/ temporary/ part-time staff to reduce the need for permanent posts. The Provisional Regional Council and its department are committed to identifying further areas for EPP.