Public views are welcome on a draft 2004 Digital 21 Strategy, which proposes main areas of action with a view to promoting the use and development of information technology (IT) in Hong Kong, an official said Friday in Hong Kong.

Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology John Tsang made the appeal at the Hong Kong Information Technology Federation luncheon.

He noted that to sustain the momentum created in the last five years and to harness the benefits of IT for business, the community and Hong Kong's position in the world, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has formulated the draft and would like to seek the input of the IT industry, business, academia and the public.

The new strategy proposes eight main areas of action, which are government leadership, sustainable e-government program, infrastructure and business environment, institutional review, technological development, a vibrant IT industry, human resources in a knowledge economy, and bridging the digital divide.

Tsang said the first Digital 21 IT Strategy was published in 1998 and updated in 2001. Most of the initiatives have been successfully implemented.

(China Daily October 11, 2003)