MR CHAN KIN-POR (in Cantonese): Thank you, President. In recent years, Hong Kong has been striving to develop into a smart city. It has formulated the Smart City Blueprint for Hong Kong, which draws up six major development plans. The Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau is working hard to take forward various tasks, and we have already seen some results. I believe that it will not be long before we can build an advanced and convenient smart metropolis. At the same time, the community is also concerned about the emergence of a digital divide, in which case the elderly and the underprivileged will end up being further marginalized in society because they do not know how to use digital technologies. I am grateful to Mr Stanley NG for proposing today’s motion and other Members for their amendments, so that the Legislative Council can discuss this issue.
To develop Hong Kong into a smart city, it is necessary for the Government to step up its efforts to promote the digitalization of public services and comprehensively enhance the functionality of the “iAM Smart” platform, so that people can conveniently handle various matters without having to visit government departments in person. In the long run, it is incumbent upon the Government to develop digital identities for members of the public. Taking Singapore as an example, citizens can handle matters at most government agencies, see doctors, borrow books, etc., by simply presenting their digital identity cards on the Singpass mobile application in place of their physical ones, which has greatly improved the quality of life and the level of convenience for citizens. In addition, I particularly support Mr Duncan CHIU’s amendment to add an interface between “iAM Smart” and banks, insurance companies, etc. which are closely related to people’s livelihood, as the insurance sector has always hoped to provide more convenient services to members of the public.
In addition to government services, Hong Kong should also strive to make citizens’ daily lives smart. In recent years, our country has successfully created a variety of smart lifestyles with remarkable results. In particular, the daily needs in terms of clothing, food, housing and transportation can be effectively managed with just a mobile phone, allowing people to enjoy smart living close at hand every day. All these are crucial to promoting the development of a smart city. One of the reasons why Hong Kong people like to go north to spend their money these days is that Mainland mobile applications are not only user friendly, but also provide a huge amount of useful information, offering Hong Kong people a completely barrier-free travel and entertainment experience.
To promote smart living, it is essential to have robust e-payment and e-commerce to support the whole development model. In recent years, Hong Kong has witnessed significant development in these two areas, especially in e-payment which is technologically mature. However, despite the growing number of users nowadays, e-payment in Hong Kong is still not as highly popular as in the Mainland, where most people do not carry cash when they go out. As for e-commerce, although it is pertinent to private enterprises, the Government can make reference to the practice of the Mainland and support its development by creating a high-quality business environment or even introducing preferential policies. If the Government is to promote smart living, e-payment and e-commerce are important areas for development.
Speaking of the issue of the digital divide, a recent survey revealed that among people aged 60 and above who lived alone or only with their partners, 54.1% found it “very difficult” to use a smartphone, while only 7.5% considered it “notdifficult”. Elderly people encounter various difficulties when using mobile phones, but the support available to them is limited. This makes it difficult for them to maintain communication with others, obtain information, and integrate into the community.
I am aware that the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer regularly organizes mobile outreach service station activities in various districts in Hong Kong to introduce common mobile applications to the elderly and answer their questions on the use of smartphones. Although the outreach programme can help some elderly people, there are hidden elderly or seniors with impaired mobility who are unable to keep up with the advancements in digital technology as they rarely go out. I hope that during their visits to the elderly, the Care Teams can act as digital specialists and personally guide the elderly in learning and mastering basic digital skills, so that they can experience the benefits brought by technology.
Elderly people and vulnerable groups with special needs face great difficulties in learning digital media and therefore require special attention. The Government should enhance the accessibility design of its official applications and use artificial intelligence (“AI”) to make them convenient and audio-enabled, thereby improving their user-friendliness. For example, the elderly and the visually impaired can use AI-equipped programmes to have the content of the applications read out and then enter voice commands. Also, the Government can provide subtitles or sign language interpretation in videos for the hearing impaired, as well as offer simple interfaces and assistive tools for people with dementia. These accessibility design features can not only help them connect with the community and bring more convenience to their lives, but can also create a barrier-free digital environment for the community.
Thank you, President.