Date: 9 August 2003

Hongkong Post Distributed Free Souvenir Covers to Promote the Community-Wide Adoption of One-Year-Free e-Cert on Smart ID Card

Hongkong Post today issued a souvenir cover to commemorate the offer of the one-year-free e-Cert to smart ID card holders. This specially designed souvenir cover will be given free to residents who apply to embed the e-Cert in their smart ID cards at the 20 designated post offices starting from today, or at the Hongkong Post service counters provided in the Immigration Department's Smart ID Card Centres starting from 18 August 2003.

A ceremony was held today at the Main Concourse of Ocean Terminal, Tsim Sha Tsui to unveil the souvenir cover and a specially designed postmark. This souvenir cover adopts a strong "virtual" motif to highlight the role of the e-Cert as an ID card in the cyber world. The cover is printed with the image of the two e-Cert ambassadors, Ms Miriam Yeung and Mr Ekin Cheng, and is affixed with a HK$ 1.40 definitive stamp cancelled by the special postmark.

Postmaster General Mr Allan Chiang was accompanied by the two e-Cert ambassadors Ms Miriam Yeung and Mr Ekin Cheng, to officiate the ceremony. The two e-Cert ambassadors also demonstrated how to use the e-Cert-embedded smart ID card to conduct safe and convenient online shopping.

Postmaster General Mr Chiang said, "This souvenir cover is rather special to us not merely because it commemorates the event of issuing free e-Cert on smart ID cards, but also represents another milestone for Hongkong Post to participate in promoting secure E-commerce and E-government in Hong Kong."

Mr Chiang added, "The expected growth in the number of e-Cert embedded smart ID card holders will have a positive effect on the spur of new online applications and services riding on the e-Cert."

With the e-Cert embedded smart ID cards, card-holders can confidently and safely engage in a broad array of online activities and transactions, including online banking, online stock trading, online auction, online shopping, secure email communication, online access to personal credit report, electronic government and online betting services.

To further boost the usage of e-Cert embedded on smart ID cards, a number of business organizations are working in collaboration with Hongkong Post to offer preferential benefits including welcome gifts, discounts, fee waiver and special bonus points to encourage e-Cert subscribers to use the e-Cert-embedded smart ID card on different online services.