Plans for Hong Kong tech bureau to be resubmitted to Legco
Proposal comes as worldwide study ranks city third for digital readiness
Plans for an innovation and technology bureau will be resubmitted to the Legislative Council next month, as a worldwide study ranked Hong Kong third for a third consecutive year in how well prepared economies are for electronic commerce.
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Gregory So Kam-leung said the proposal to set up an IT bureau would be re-tabled for scrutiny on March 18 - roughly a month after the funding application was killed off by filibustering pan-democratic legislators.
He urged councillors to cooperate and pass the proposal as soon as possible.
The index analyses four drivers of the digital economy: supply-side factors including access to infrastructure like bandwidth; demand conditions such as internet and social media awareness; the institutional environment, accounting for government policy; and innovation and change in areas such as private equity investment and the ease of business registration for start-ups.
"The United States, despite its role in the global financial crisis, has managed to keep its head above water, while Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong have been consistently pushing the frontiers of digital readiness," the report said.