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Dear heads of departments and organisations, award winners, honourable guests and friends from the media,

 

Welcome to the 29th Presentation Ceremony of The Ombudsman’s Awards.

 

First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude for the unswerving support and cooperation of all government departments and public organisations over the years, as we work together towards the continuous betterment and optimisation of public administration in the Special Administrative Region (“SAR”). The heads of departments and organisations, their teams and officers present today well deserve recognition and commendation for their dedication to providing the best public services for the community.  Under my leadership, my Office has upheld the principle of “calling a spade a spade”, performing our duties with independence, objectivity and impartiality following an evidence-based approach.  While recognising the outstanding performance of departments and organisations, we also handle cases involving maladministration stringently and fairly.  We identify the root causes of problems and put forward practical, actionable recommendations for improvement.

 

The Ombudsman’s Awards aim to recognise the excellent performance of departments, organisations, teams and individuals in a wide range of areas. It is truly inspiring to see a record number of awardees in all categories, including awards for organisations, teams and public officers, as well as an attendance exceeding 480.

 

As the independent statutory body that monitors public administration in the SAR and executes The Ombudsman Ordinance, the Office of The Ombudsman is accountable directly to the Chief Executive in assisting the Government to promote good governance and improve people’s livelihood. To express support to the Chief Executive, we proactively facilitate and align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan, and Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan announced last month.  In the same month, I led a delegation to Shanghai, where my staff attended a specialised training programme on the National 15th Five-Year Plan.   The visit enabled them to gain deeper insights into the Country’s situation and study its major policies and development strategies.  They are expected to apply what they have learned in Shanghai in their daily work to ensure that the SAR’s governance system operates with full commitment to better integrating into and serving the overall national development.

 

In the previous reporting year, the three strategic focuses that I have championed for my Office delivered tangible and breakthrough results, including the resolution of 1,145 cases by mediation and the conclusion of 396 cases involving inter-departmental collaboration. Particularly noteworthy is the outcome of inter-departmental collaboration to tackle the unlawful occupation of government land at Woh Chai Hill in Sham Shui Po.  Following our intervention, six relevant departments pooled their efforts to take decisive enforcement action against the thorny district problem that had persisted for nearly two decades.  Their joint operations in addressing the community’s concerns are widely acclaimed by the public.

 

To fulfil our supervisory function, the Office completed ten direct investigation operations concerning matters of significant public interest and closely related to people’s livelihood. Major topics that have attracted widespread attention from society included respite services for supporting carers, effectiveness of complaint handling by the Secretariat of the Medical Council of Hong Kong, and work in combating animal cruelty.  Together with more than 40 cases concluded by full investigation, the Office put forward 573 recommendations for improvement in the previous reporting year, reinforcing the effectiveness of public governance and bringing about substantive progress on all fronts.  I would like to express my special thanks to all departments and organisations for their active cooperation, working together to address people’s concerns and enhance the well-being of society.

 

Over the past year, the Ombudsman Academy organised workshops and exchange activities for various departments, organisations and relevant mainland and international entities. This year, it also held thematic seminars for District Council members and Legislative Council (“LegCo”) members’ assistants, fostering the concept of maladministration prevention and a positive complaint culture.  In June, the Academy successfully held an international webinar to facilitate cross-regional exchange of experiences and knowledge sharing, thereby further strengthening connectivity and cooperation locally, across the border and abroad.

 

With the staunch support of the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision, the Office will host celebrations in December marking the 30th Anniversary of the Asian Ombudsman Association, including the International Summit, the Board of Directors’ meeting and cultural programmes. The Chief Executive and several distinguished international guests will attend in person.  The event will elevate the SAR’s global influence, fully leveraging its unique position of being supported by the motherland while closely connected to the world.  It is a great opportunity for us to expand international exchanges and collaboration, and tell the good stories of Hong Kong on the international stage.

 

Before presenting the awards, I would like to introduce the design concept behind the trophies for the seven Organisation Awards this year. The trophies’ hourglass design symbolises time and efficiency.  I urge departments and organisations to place efficiency at the forefront, to respond to the concerns of the public in a professional and timely manner, and to effectively alleviate people’s difficulties.  The flow of sand between the hourglass’s upper and lower chambers in the same direction represents teamwork to achieve common goals.  As pointed out by President Xi, people’s livelihoods and sentiments are the biggest political issues, and he expects the SAR to earnestly raise governance standards and effectively address the public’s difficulties.  Every department and organisation should adhere to the “One Government” mindset, work in unity, dare to reform, and put people first.  By easing the public’s burdens and enhancing their sense of happiness and fulfilment, we can honour the President’s high expectations.

 

 

This Year’s Winners of Awards

Organisation Awards

 

I will now announce the winning organisations for The Ombudsman’s Awards 2026. First, the Gold Award for Organisations goes to the Customs and Excise Department (“C&ED”).

 

C&ED has been gatekeeping for Hong Kong, playing a crucial role in safeguarding national security, combating smuggling and drug trafficking, protecting tax revenue and consumer interests, and promoting economic development. Over the years, C&ED has embraced change with an innovative mindset, introducing advanced technologies and artificial intelligence (“AI”) in line with the Smart Customs Blueprint to continuously enhance its enforcement effectiveness and service standards.  The measures it adopted to facilitate trade and commerce consolidate Hong Kong’s position as an international logistics and trade hub and yield impressive results.  C&ED is truly deserving of the Gold Award.

 

This year’s Silver Award for Organisations goes to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (“PCPD”).

 

Committed to safeguarding personal data privacy and stringent law enforcement, PCPD has taken the initiative to improve the efficiency of case handling by refining its workflow and resolving disputes through conciliation. Particularly targeting doxxing and emerging issues such as data security and AI security, PCPD has set up hotlines and formulated practical guidelines.  PCPD continues to strengthen publicity and education by organising seminars and workshops to raise awareness of privacy protection among the public and organisations.  Its outstanding performance is commendable.

 

The winner of the Bronze Award for Organisations is the Legislative Council Secretariat (“LCS”).

 

LCS has been supporting the LegCo’s important constitutional functions with professionalism and high efficiency, continuously optimising its workflow to facilitate the public’s expression of views on government policies and measures. LCS has adopted innovative technologies and AI to compile case analyses and develop the Intelligent Transcription System, which streamlines the production of meeting records.  By sharing information through various channels, LCS enables the public to quickly grasp the highlights of LegCo meetings and deepens the community’s understanding of LegCo affairs, which exemplifies its principle of people-oriented services.

 

The Award on Mediation goes to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (“LCSD”).

 

LCSD is committed to responding to the public’s diverse needs for leisure and cultural services. In recent years, LCSD has used mediation proactively for swift and effective clarification of misunderstandings and resolution of disputes to achieve win‑win outcomes.  Its staff members promptly address public concerns and offer practical solutions, which is conducive to easing tensions and significantly enhancing both service quality and social harmony.

 

The Information Technology Application and Creativity Award is presented to the Hong Kong Police Force (“HKPF”).

 

Tasked with the vital responsibility of safeguarding Hong Kong’s public order, HKPF has actively introduced innovative technologies over the years to advance smart policing and improve the effectiveness of law enforcement and public services. With remarkable creativity, HKPF has independently developed a range of popular mobile applications and systems that harness AI to provide more accessible e‑services, reinforce protection against fraud and enhance emergency response.  It has also excelled in enhancing public administration and service quality.

 

The winner of the Customer Services Award is Hongkong Post.

 

Providing quality, efficient and reliable postal and delivery services, Hongkong Post has actively diversified into cross‑sector operations and elevated the overall customer experience. It has established a robust complaint-handling mechanism that draws on public feedback as opportunities for improvement, and has demonstrated excellence in optimising services and strengthening complaint management.

 

In addition to the above six awards, I have introduced a new Positive Complaint Award this year to honour departments and organisations that actively address public grievances and turn every complaint into a catalyst for improvement of services and systems. The Positive Complaint Award this year goes to the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (“MPFA”).

 

Since the launch of the eMPF Platform, MPFA has faced initial challenges with a constructive and open mindset. MPFA has worked closely with us, accepted and implemented all our recommendations and rolled out improvement measures.  It has also alerted the public to fraud through multiple channels to safeguard user interests.  In collaboration with the Office, MPFA has turned challenges into opportunities for continuous enhancement of the eMPF Platform, showcasing its positive spirit, openness and firm commitment to better services.

 

Awards for Teams and Public Officers

 

The efficient functioning of government departments and public organisations is built on the hard work and dedication of public officers and teams. This year, I presented a total of 84 Awards for Public Officers and 15 Team Awards.  The awards recognise individuals for their remarkable performance and commitment to the people-oriented principle.  We also honour teams for their concerted efforts in enhancing service efficiency, including five inter-departmental collaboration teams.  I am thrilled that everyone’s efforts are being recognised and appreciated, and look forward to seeing all of you keep pushing boundaries, embracing innovation, and striving for continuous progress.

 

Final Remarks

 

Once again, I extend my congratulations to all award-winning departments, organisations, public officers and teams. Yesterday, the SAR Government released the report submitted by the Independent Committee in relation to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, and outlined a series of reform measures.  My Office and I pledge our wholehearted support to the SAR Government’s determination to assume responsibility and spearhead reform.  We will work proactively to strengthen public administration and enhance governance effectiveness.  My Office will spare no effort in fulfilling our supervisory and coordinating role, joining forces with departments and organisations to proactively align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan and Hong Kong’s Five-Year Plan.  Let us work together to improve people’s livelihood and well-being, advance good governance, foster Hong Kong’s enduring prosperity and stability, and fully integrate into the overall national development.  Thank you.

 

Office of The Ombudsman