Despite the increased penetration of computers and Internet connections among Hong Kong households, the use of online purchasing services in the territory has only seen moderate growth, according to a recent government survey.

The study, which interviewed some 10,000 local households representing the population of Hong Kong, found that 71.1 per cent had computers at home. Among them, 91.3 per cent had their computers connected to the Internet - representing 64.9 per cent of all domestic households in the territory.

According to the survey, this represents a significant increase compared to last year, when 67.5 per cent of all households had computers and 60 per cent had their computers connected to the Internet.

But the usage of online purchasing services increased only from 7.0 per cent last year to 7.1 per cent this year.

Responding to the survey findings, Associate Head of the Department of Information Systems at City University Louis Ma said online purchasing activities have yet to become a part of local shopping culture.

"Hong Kong is a very convenient place and there is no need to purchase goods on the Internet when everything is close by and within walking distance," he told China Daily.

Ma said online retailers must provide additional incentives for local shoppers to change their purchasing habits.

"Hong Kong shoppers are still not used to buying online, and it remains a rather foreign concept. Online retailers should consider lowering prices or delivery charges to attract more customers," said Ma.

Meanwhile, results show that the rates of using computers were higher among younger and well-educated people, while 59.5 per cent of respondents aged 10 and over said they had used a computer at least once in the 12 months before the survey. This represents a 4 per cent increase from the previous year.

Findings also suggest that the use of online business services, including bill payment and stock trading, was high among most Hong Kong residents.

Nearly 96 per cent of all persons aged 15 and over had used online business services for personal matters in the twelve months before the survey, as compared to 93.6 per cent in 2003.

Survey results revealed that there had been a continued growth in the penetration of computers and Internet in the household in Hong Kong through increased government support and promotion, according to the Census and Statistics Department.

Hong Kong is now one of the cities with the highest computer and broadband penetration in the world, while there is also a noticeable increase in the use of e-government services by the members of the public, the department said.

The government will continue to collaborate with IT bodies and non-government organizations to encourage different sectors of the community to adopt information technology, it added.

(HK Edition 12/07/2004 page2)