The Digital Policy Office (DPO) held its 20th Technology Forum at the HKPC on 13 September 2024. The forum, with the theme "Adopting Innovative Technologies to Cope with Cybersecurity Threats", was held in hybrid mode and attracted about 900 colleagues from nearly 100 government departments and public organisations.

The Commissioner for Digital Policy, Mr Tony Wong, introduced at the forum the 2024 Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign jointly organised by the DPO and the industry to echo the China Cybersecurity Week. The Campaign seeks to raise cybersecurity awareness among the general public and different sectors of the community, and enhance the cybersecurity of society through a series of activities such as exhibitions, technology seminars, and learning resources.

Mr Wong said, "With cyber attacks getting more and more severe, our defence must be kept abreast of the times by introducing multidimensional and diversified technological measures. In dealing with the cyber attacks, we also need to develop from a static, passive defence to dynamic, proactive detection."

Mr Wong expressed that the DPO has implemented a series of new measures to step up the self-monitoring role of government bureaux and departments (B/Ds) as well as public bodies under B/Ds' purview in information technology (IT) system development, service delivery and safeguarding of information security. The DPO will also actively increase independent cyber security tests for large-scale and high-risk IT projects, as well as carry out regular vulnerability inspections, penetration tests, surprise checks, in-depth compliance audits, and enhance cybersecurity awareness and technology know-how of Government personnel. Such measures aim at more effectively protecting information systems and data security to provide a sturdy basis for expediting the development of a digital government.

At the forum, a number of technology enterprises were invited to share information and exchange ideas about their technologies, offering an opportunity for government departments and public organisations to learn more about the latest trends of cybersecurity and related technology products and solutions, as well as ways to consolidate a defence against cyber threats by effectively adopting innovative technologies.

The Technology Forum held on 13 September 2024 was organised by the Smart Government Innovation Lab (Smart Lab) under the DPO in collaboration with the HKPC, Hong Kong Cyberport and the HKSTP. Since its establishment in 2019, the Smart Lab has been actively connecting government departments with the innovation and technology sector, particularly local start-ups and SMEs, to foster a close partnership between the two sides. The Smart Lab regularly organises different promotional activities, including technology forums and technology exchange workshops for government departments and the industry, with a view to encouraging and helping government departments to introduce and apply innovative technology products and solutions, which could in turn facilitate more business matching, achieving a win-win situation.

The technology forums have so far attracted over 8 000 participants from nearly 700 public and private organisations, enterprises and government departments. For more details, please visit the thematic website of the Smart Lab (www.smartlab.gov.hk/en/).

For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202409/13/P2024091300438.htm.

Labour Department to hold seminar on Employment Ordinance

The Labour Department has called for registration for a seminar on the Employment Ordinance to be held at 2.15pm on 16 October 2024 (Wednesday) at Lai Chi Kok Community Hall, G/F, Banyan Garden, 863 Lai Chi Kok Road, Sham Shui Po (entrance facing Sham Shing Road).

The main provisions of the Employment Ordinance and abolition of the Mandatory Provident Fund offsetting arrangement will be introduced.

The seminar will be conducted in Cantonese and participation is free of charge. Interested participants should complete the registration form, which can be downloaded from the Labour Department's website (www.labour.gov.hk), and return it by email by 27 September 2024 (Friday). The quota will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. For enquiries, please call 3575 8671.

For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202409/13/P2024090900233.htm.

Taxi-Driver-Offence Points Ordinance to come into operation on 22 September 2024

The Transport Department (TD) reminded the taxi trade that the Taxi-Driver-Offence Points (TDOP) Ordinance will come into operation on 22 September 2024 to introduce the TDOP system.

A spokesman for the TD said, "The quality of taxi services has been an issue of concern in recent years. Considering the public's strong demand for enhancing the quality of taxi services, the Government modelled on the existing driving-offence points system and introduced the TDOP system. The TDOP system aims to strengthen the deterrent effect against malpractices by taxi drivers for combating the black sheep in the taxi industry and enhancing the service quality and overall image of the trade."

The TDOP system covers 11 taxi-driver-related offences that affect taxi service quality and carry higher penalties under the existing legislation, including overcharging, wilfully refusing or neglecting to accept a hire and driving to a destination other than by the most direct practicable route. These 11 offences are categorised into three layers based on their seriousness and assigned with 10, five and three points respectively (see Annex). If a person is convicted of, or becomes liable to, a fixed penalty for a related offence, a respective number of points will be incurred.

Under the TDOP system, for any taxi driver who has accumulated points incurred to a specified level within any two-year period, a respective action or penalty will be triggered. Specifically, an Advice of Taxi-Driver-Offence Points will be served by the Commissioner for Transport to any person incurring eight to 14 points; and a Notice of Obligatory Attendance of Taxi Service Improvement Course (TSIC) will also be served to any person incurring 10 points or more, requiring the person to attend and complete a TSIC at his/her own cost within a specified period of time. Failure to comply with such requirement without reasonable excuse is an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of $5,000 and imprisonment for one month. All taxi drivers who have incurred points (including those who have not been served with a Notice of Obligatory Attendance) can attend a TSIC, and three points will be deducted from the total number of points previously incurred by that person after completing a TSIC and passing its examination. Furthermore, any person incurring 15 points or more is liable to be disqualified from driving a taxi. The disqualification period will be three months for the first disqualification and six months for each subsequent disqualification.

Following the passage of the TDOP Bill by the Legislative Council in mid-December 2023 and the publication in the gazette on 22 December 2023, the TD has been maintaining close liaison with the taxi trade, including briefing the taxi trade on the operation of the TDOP system, and reminding them to get prepared for it. The TD has again briefed the taxi trade on details and requirements of the TDOP system and the Ordinance through regular taxi trade conferences and letters from early September 2024 onwards, to enable the trade to familiarise themselves with the operation of the TDOP system.

For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202409/12/P2024091200260.htm.