The Land Registry is transforming the Land Registration System of Hong Kong to meet the present and future need of the community. The Change Programme entails replacing the nine district registration offices now in existence by a centralised registration system and introducing a Land Titles Registration System. It will bring international best practice in service quality and capability. The plan is being taken forward through new technology, new legislation, improved facilities and staff training.

In 2002/03, the Land Registry achieved significant progress with its Strategic Change Plan. The Legislative Council enacted the Land Registration (Amendment) Ordinance in July 2002. The Ordinance empowers the Land Registry to merge the eight New Territories District Land Registries with the Urban Registry to create a comprehensive Registration Service for the whole territory. It also allowed the Land Registry to proceed with a HK$146 million contract to deliver the Integrated Registration Information System (IRIS). Development of this robust platform is in full swing. We have defined the details of the requirement specifications and completed the system analysis and design of the new mission critical system. Land Registry staff are now contributing to the system construction process and the planning for system integration tests.

Value-added IRIS services such as shorter business processing time, fast Internet access, enhanced data security and recovery, one-stop counter service, self-help service and a Chinese language facility for IRIS, highlight our commitments to the vision of being the best in all that we do.

A new design of memorial form is being developed to suit users' needs, and to obtain maximum operation efficiency for both front office operation and updating of the land register. The new design follows the international best practice of property-based approach. The format of the land register will also be revised to provide clearer presentation and greater convenience to users.

To allow us to deploy our new information technology effectively to support our new business flow, the Land Registry offices are being refurbished. The improved offices will provide an improved service environment for customers and a better working environment for our staff when IRIS rolls out in January 2004.