Dear Colleagues,

Outstanding Customer Service in the Civil Service

The civil service is the backbone of the public administration of Hong Kong.  Day in and day out, colleagues provide an enormous amount of essential services to meet the needs of the community.  In the delivery of public services, we are second to none in terms of quality, efficiency and professionalism.  We also take pride in the advances that we have made in building a customer-oriented ethos which is now deeply ingrained in the culture of all departments.

Since 1999, Civil Service Bureau has been organizing an annual Customer Service Award Scheme to give recognition to departments and teams for achieving excellence in customer service.  For 2004, the Scheme was launched last September and we received 89 entries from 29 departments.  The entries are of very high standard and I am pleased to inform you that adjudication was completed in March.

To enhance public understanding of the good work and contribution of the civil service, TVB Jade will broadcast a series of TV programmes this month.  Starting tomorrow, there will be a mini show entitled "Review of Quality Public Services" every Saturday (i.e. on 8, 15, 22 and 29 May) at 7:30 p.m. to highlight the useful services provided by 26 departments in the areas of infrastructure, law and order, community health, and economic and social services.  The publicity will culminate in a Prize Presentation Night variety show to be broadcast on Sunday, 30 May at 9:30 p.m.  We shall produce an Announcement in the Public Interest from the mini series for broadcast on the Chinese and English television channels later on.

I sincerely invite you and your families to watch the television programmes, for entertainment as well as in support of our civil service.  You may find your colleagues, or even yourselves, in the programmes!

Yours sincerely,

(Joseph W P Wong)
Secretary for the Civil Service