The Printing Department has successfully completed an EPP initiative- the e-Gazette - using the savings from its "Save & Invest Account".

The e-Gazette is an electronic version of the printed Government Gazette being made available on the Internet and can be easily accessed anytime and anywhere.

With a sum of $350,000 withdrawn from the "Save & Invest Account", the Printing Department acquired the necessary computer hardware and software for the implementation of the e-Gazette project..

According to the Government Printer, Mr. David Tsui, the launching of the e-Gazette enabled Printing Department staff to acquire the know-how and techniques to convert files for uploading onto the Internet.

The work procedures required seamless co-operation between printing technicians and proofreaders to ensure that the information on the Internet is accurate and being uploaded in a timely manner.

The Government Printer described the project as a challenge to his staff and he is also thankful for their achievement.

Since December 2000, the full set of the e-Gazette in both English and Chinese can be downloaded from the Printing Department's website for viewing and printing free of charge.

Recent statistics indicate that the hit rate of the Printing Department's website has increased significantly in the past few months. It is expected that with more people turn to the e-Gazette, the demand for printed copies will gradually decrease. This will bring about further savings in future.