GPO

GPO is short for General Post Office in Hong Kong.

Mr Postman is one of the toughest jobs in today's business world. Regardlesss of weather conditions, Mr Postman has to deliver mails and parcels to many locations every day. Salute to you, Mr Postman!

Effective 01 July 2006, the Government of Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAR) adopted a five-day week for many offices of Government policy bureaus and departments. Although those offices will open longer from Monday to Friday, and the Government has also provided a 24-hour hotline and website for the citizens to learn more about the new work pattern, the deliverable is simply not for the citizens.

It really does not matter what the Government had done to ensure that people in need of assistance would still be able to get help under the new work pattern. This change in work pattern is already an inconvenience to people in need.

However, the opening hours of all post office counters remain unchanged. Mail delivery will continue on Saturdays. Poor Mr Postman...

A five-day week adopted by HKSAR is said to be "an initiative to reduce the pressure of the working population and to improve the quality of their family life, without impairing operational efficiency. The scheme will bolster civil service morale, promote social harmony and bring about positive impact on the community."

Reduce the pressure of the working population? Bolster civil service morale? Promote social harmony? REALLY!???

If the deliverable produces inconvenience, and thus negative experience, to the citizens, who is going to be blamed? Our innocent civil servants. After all, almost every citizen has to pay tax! Who is willing to suffer a drop in service level as long as it is not free-of-charge?

Extending the opening hours on weekdays will not benefit the citizens either due to regular unpaid overtime work of the working force.

Since the deliverable experience is negative, even if the information experience is positive, the impact on the community is still negative.

Well...

HKSAR welcomes views on the scheme. If interested, email tellme@1823.gov.hk