The Electronic Service Delivery (ESD) Scheme is a key initiative under the "Digital 21" Information Technology Strategy of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to provide online public services.
The ESD Services Limited (ESDSL) is the contractor engaged by the Government through an open tender process to develop the ESD system. The Government makes use of the system to provide public services online. The contractor is also allowed to use the ESD system to provide private sector e-commerce services. The objective is to provide more comprehensive services to users and to make use of the ESD information infrastructure to pump-prime the development of e-commerce in the private sector.
This one-stop portal provides more than 140 types of integrated public services of over 40 government bureaus, departments and agencies. Services vary from a basic e-service to complicated on-line transactions, which may be put into three categories:
Publish – the government has an electronic presence. ESD Scheme provides useful information such as its SME information center. It also offers various kinds of downloadable forms – such as applications for an animal trader license, applications for a livestock keepers license, etc.
Interact – the government gives citizens the ability to actually interact with it. ESD Scheme has contact information for each public department. Users are able to call or send emails if they have any questions.
Transact – ESD Scheme enables citizens and some commercial companies to carry out transactions over the Internet, such as informing government departments of a change of address in one go. Moreover, the services include filing and viewing tax returns, sale of government publications, and retrieval of birth/death/marriage certificates. Appointment booking – such as for HK smart identity card replacement, registration of identity card, or marriage – are also provided.
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