- With the savings achieved from the Enhanced Productivity Programme
(EPP), the Government Printer, Mr David Tsui Kwan-ping, said at a
briefing to the media on 5 March 2001 that the department had used
this opportunity to deliver services in a more innovative way, including
the introduction of the electronic Gazette which was fully launched
in December last year.
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- A weekly publication, the Government Gazette with its official notifications,
bills and legislation, professional lists, trade marks etc. can easily
reach over 600 pages in each issue.
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- Mr Tsui said: "With the introduction of e-Gazette, the information
is now available 'real-time' on the Internet. This greatly facilitates
communication from around the world."
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- Visit to the website has increased ten folds to over 60,000 each
month. Moreover, subscription to the hard copies has dropped from
4,000 to 2,200 each week, making the whole publication exercise more
environmental friendly.
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- Armed with the success of the e-Gazette, the Printing Department
is developing a pilot study project on e-Ordering with five major
client departments. When this project is completed at the end of this
year, it will turn a new leaf for the Printing Department in its Government-to-Business
(G2B) venture.
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- In productivity gains, the Printing Department will have achieved
a total of $8.9M (3.5%) by the end of 2001-02. With the advent of
modern printing technology, the department had invested in two sets
of modern Computer-to-Plate system for origination work, thereby reducing
much the need to prepare printing plates in the traditional way which
is both time-consuming and less environmental friendly, with the use
of films and solutions.
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- A perfect binding machine was also installed in the finishing division.
This machine combines the three finishing processes of gathering,
binding and cutting into one automatic operation. Further, opportunity
had been taken to rationalise the plant and equipment in the workshop,
thus ensuing our operation to be more efficient and cost effective.
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- Mr Tsui added that the department had taken a conscientious effort
to rationalise its paper stock-holding, from the previous 6 months'
stock to an average of 3.5 months of paper consumption. This allows
a reduction of $20M in paper stock, and another saving of $3.2M at
the end of 2001-02 arising from rental charges for storage and transportation
cost.
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- Looking ahead, Mr Tsui said that the EPP initiatives had provided
the colleagues an opportunity to look afresh into the usual way of
running operation. With the productivity gained, the department was
confident in joining the Voluntary Retirement Scheme introduced last
year. A total of 77 colleagues in various grades/ ranks have voluntarily
opted to join the scheme, thereby providing both the staff an attractive
exit scheme and the management an opportunity to operate a much slimmer
and fitter organisation to deliver its services in the new millennium.
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