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PRESS RELEASE (Source : Government Information Centre)

IRD's performance pledge results released

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The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) had delivered nearly all its pledged services within targeted times during the year ended March 31, 2002, the Commissioner of Inland Revenue, Mrs Lau Mak Yee-ming, Alice, said today (June 26).

Speaking at the presentation ceremony for IRD's 2002 Best Customer Service Awards, Mrs Lau thanked taxpayers who had shown understanding on the infrequent occasions when the level of service delivered fell short of the standard pledged.

"The pledge of issuing extracts of business registration information was enhanced in 2001/02. Some 200,000 applications were received during the year and all the extracts of information were issued within targeted times," she said.

Mrs Lau attributed the IRD's achievement to the concerted efforts of her staff in providing high quality services to taxpayers. The IRD's new slogan "Marching shoulder to shoulder, Braving the challenges together" speaks for the staff of the IRD who will, in the days to come, continue serving the public with a positive attitude.

In the drive for continuous improvement, the Department has from April 2002 enhanced the service levels of two pledged items. "Notification for change of business registration particulars can now be updated in 30 minutes, which is a leap improvement from the previous standard of ten working days, " Mrs Lau said. "In addition, the recently launched TeleTax service provides taxpayers with an instant reply to specified tax enquiry."

Mrs Lau also said that an independent Users' Committee, with a broadly based membership drawn from academics and professionals, including legal and accounting practitioners, had been established to monitor the Department's performance against its pledges.

At today's presentation ceremony, the IRD Users' Committee members presented prizes to 16 individual and group winners of the 2002 Best Customer Service Awards Competition in appreciation of the excellent service they provided to their customers. The competition drew enthusiastic participation and support from IRD staff and the public, who had casted record high votes of 46,000.

The IRD's 2002/03 performance pledge and 2001/02 performance pledge annual report are accessible on the IRD web site (http://www.info.gov.hk/ird). Copies are also available for collection at IRD offices and the Public Enquiry Service Centres of District Offices.

End/Wednesday, June 26, 2002

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