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year under review saw major changes in the business environment of the
Municipal Sector Division. The former Regional Services and Urban Services
Departments were among the first EMSTF customers to be "untied"
last August, and their functions were taken over in January 2000 by the
new Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Food and Environmental
Hygiene Department.
With thorough planning and preparation, the division has successfully
supported these clients through the change. Achieving healthy business
growth despite the "untying", the division now provides services
to new venues such as the Yuen Long Theatre, Kwai Tsing Theatre, Hong
Kong Heritage Museum and Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse. A series of charge
reduction plans, tailored to meet client's specific needs, have contributed
to the maintenance of the strong client base. Initiatives to help clients
save costs and enhance efficiency have also yielded results.
To
help clients achieve the productivity gain stipulated by the Government,
the division has upgraded technology and re-deployed staff to ensure that
clients enjoy further cost savings. Discussions are underway for longer-term
Service Level Agreements whereby customers will benefit from special premium
prices and certain reinvestments by EMSTF. The new arrangements offer
significant and predictable productivity gains for clients, which are
only possible in long-term partnerships.
A number of business process improvement initiatives have also taken place
to ensure that the division's services are more customer focused. These
include taking over services for the Marine Department and Hongkong Post,
leveraging the division's specialised knowledge of postal equipment services
and its existing network of depots throughout the territory. As a result,
response times have become shorter and the control of spare parts more
effective.
In
addition, the division won the Civil Service Bureau's Customer Service
Award for Internal Support Category, a much coveted honour.
Looking ahead, business prospects are excellent. New venues such as the
Hong Kong Central Library and the Hong Kong Film Archive offer exciting
opportunities. Change has been a catalyst for progress in the past year,
and the division will aim for further growth in the next year.
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