Ombudsman probes effectiveness of 1823
The Office of The Ombudsman said on Thursday that it's launching an investigation into the effectiveness of the government's 1823 enquiry platform, after receiving many complaints against the service in the first five months of this year. It said it received feedback from members of the public that hotline operators had failed to answer calls, adding that the platform had also suspended the processing of written enquiries and complaints during the height of the Covid outbreak earlier this year.  The government earlier said the call volume of the 1823 hotline had occasionally exceeded its system capacity due to the fifth wave of the pandemic, with 63 percent of calls being busied out between March and May. The Ombudsman, Winnie Chiu, said the office will examine the effectiveness of 1823, including its mechanism for handling cross-departmental complaints "If 1823 is not operating effectively or part of its service is interrupted, it will not only cause inconvenience to the public, but will also impede departments’ daily work in handling public enquiries and complaints," she said. Meanwhile, the office said it's also launching a probe into the management of public housing units that have a communal kitchen and bathroom. It said the units, some of which served as one-person flats or designed for senior citizens, had a 60 percent vacancy rate last year. Chiu said the office would examine the allocation, occupancy and day-to-day management of units with shared facilities.  Members of the public have until August 29 to submit their views on both issues to the Ombudsman's office.