The INSTITUTE Meeting with ESRI CHINA (HK) LTD

The Dean of Science and Research, Mr. Peter KWOK, has met with representatives of ESRI China (Hong Kong) Ltd. to discuss mutual interests in developing and building a modern land administration platform in Hong Kong.

The meeting was held on 6 January 2004 at ESRI's office at Cyperport and was attended also by Mr Chong Wai Choi, editor of HKILA and Mr Yu Quing Yim, council member.

Mr Kwok presented the Institute's mission to promote Modernization of the Land Administration of the Hong Kong SAR Government pointing out that at present departmental polices within Hong Kong Government were fragmented with regard to the implementation of Spatial Data Information System (SDIS) and Cadastral Information System (CIS), resulting in duplication of efforts and resources and poor interoperability of geographical information and data.

Both parties recognized the entrenched attitude and practice within different government departments making integration of policies and resources extremely difficult. Mr Kwok pinpointed that two government units, namely the Survey and Mapping Office of the Lands Department and the Land Registry should combine their efforts to establish a fundamental Cadastral Layer to unify the two systems, SDIS and CIS, to form a Spatial/Geo-referenced Data Information System (SGDIS).

The meeting was concluded with both parties vowing to bring the matter forward in a combined effort to raise the awareness of government institutions to the need for revolutionizing the land administration system.