80 HK public services use mainland e-payments amid tourist demand

More than 80 government services have introduced mainland electronic payment methods to facilitate tourists, said Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan.

Writing on Facebook on Sunday, Yeung said the top three services using mainland e-payment methods included Leisure and Cultural Services Department facility booking and program enrolment, paying application fees for visas and travel documents, as well as public library-related charges.

“As it has become a common practice for the public and tourists to use e-payment platforms, museums and performance venues under the LCSD accept a wide range of e-payment methods, including credit cards, Octopus, Faster Payment System and mainland e-payment methods,” she said.

This comes as many art lovers from mainland and overseas have visited local art galleries and museums, including the Hong Kong Museum of Art in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Apart from the over 80 government services that accept mainland e-payment methods, Yeung said the Digital Policy Office and the Treasury had worked with more than 70 government bureaus and departments, to introduce e-payments to all 600 government bills.

She added that the ratio of citizens paying government bills with e-payments had surged to 61 percent from 46 percent a decade ago.

Meanwhile, the Transport Department launched a pilot scheme last month to set up International Driving Permit self-service kiosks in Admiralty and Cheung Sha Wan, allowing applicants to collect the permit within an hour.

(Eunice Lam)