Gov reviews 1823 hotline as CE visits centre ahead of Policy Address

Authorities are looking to streamline the handling of 1823 hotline calls with the help of AI. Lawmakers suggest departments receiving complaints or enquiries should follow up directly with callers so as to ensure prompt responses.

Chief Executive John Lee visits the 1823 call centre in the government’s Treasury Building in Cheung Sha Wan. He says AI technologies will be introduced to improve efficiency in allocating cases and analysing data so as to resolve citizens’ requests for assistance and complaints faster.

Established in 2001, the 1823 government hotline receives public enquiries and complaints and refers them to relevant departments for follow-up work. But the hotline has long been criticised over difficulties getting through.

A citizen Ms. Fung says she waited for more than 30 minutes before being told she would receive a reply within seven days. After filing a complaint, she had to repeat the same information to the department handling the case.

Many residents are unaware of the hotline service including this granny who said the government should step up publicity efforts, especially to the elderly.

This woman says calling hotlines can be cumbersome as they often entail long waits and navigating automated menus.

According to government statistics, 1823 received more than three million cases in the first seven months of this year. Nearly 40% were made by phone. More than 80% of calls were answered within 12 seconds, while 99% of first-time callers had their enquiries answered.

Among some 470,000 cases involving requests for services or complaints, 97% were referred to the relevant departments within three hours.

Last year, departments receiving referrals about district issues are required to decide within seven days whether to take up the case.

If two departments are unable to clarify responsibility after a referral, the case will be escalated to the District Officer or other relevant authorities for a decision.

The government will also introduce AI this year to integrate and identify information from phone calls and emails, with the aim of expediting the process.

Lawmakers visited the mainland’s 12345 government service hotline during their Beijing visit in July. The platform operates across government departments, with the first unit receiving a case taking responsibility for it.

Lawmaker Johnny Ng says Hong Kong should consider adopting a similar accountability system with a directorate-level official or an interdepartmental task force to coordinate the process as well as performance indicators, including targets for response times.