Top official to determine responsible department in complex 1823 cases

A top official will be responsible for determining which government department should handle complaints that involve multiple agencies under a new system for the 1823 hotline, set to begin in early next year. Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Warner Cheuk Wing-hing announced the reforms to the press, stating that he aims to fairly distribute responsibility among departments with overlapping duties.

If all departments share the responsibility equally, a rotating system will be employed, ensuring each department takes turns leading. However, if one department is deemed the primary coordinator, the others will lead in subsequent cases. If the designated lead department disagrees with the assignment, it can appeal within a few days, after which Cheuk will make the final decision.

Cheuk emphasized that the new mechanism will eliminate finger-pointing among departments claiming they lack the authority, knowledge, or resources to handle complaints, as such cases constitute a minority of the total complaints. The 1823 hotline, which received 750,000 complaints last year, currently handles approximately 30 percent of cases spanning multiple departments.

Cheuk's role will enable the efficient allocation of cross-departmental complaints to the relevant authorities "99 percent" of the time.