Social News
Written by: Lao Minyi
2020-09-21 00:00
Last update date: 2020-09-21 00:00
Community recycling centers will be distributed in 18 districts in Hong Kong with a new look. It is planned to use gift redemption machines to cooperate with the smart electronic point system. However, the Environmental Protection Department has changed the guidelines at least five times within one month of the quotation process. Last Friday (18th), the notice was suspended The plan was approved and the arrangement was chaotic.
The quotation process also caused a small disturbance, because the Environmental Protection Agency recommended seven gift exchange machine suppliers, among which Rui Mao International Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Rui Mao International") is also the contractor of the Department’s data system, and one agency has For the products of the mainland company of the garbage classification data platform, the agency once required all suppliers to obtain a confirmation letter for the permission to use the company's data system before quoting. This was unfair and worried about overcharging.
Another person in charge of the community recycling center hopes that the government will explain whether it can protect personal privacy when processing data.
The EPA explained that the supplier needed time to resolve technical and commercial difficulties, so it reconsidered the timetable for setting up self-service redemption machines in all community recycling centers; it also pointed out that the points system will not store any personal information, and the collected data belongs to the department. After conducting statistical analysis, it serves as a reference for evaluating the feasibility of the local application of the intelligent recycling system.
The procurement process of the gift exchange machine at the community recycling center is controversial
The new image of community recycling centers will be launched in 18 districts in Hong Kong, with reward and punishment mechanism to increase motivation
In the past, citizens had to sort and recycle garbage by themselves.
(Profile picture)
At the end of August, the Environmental Protection Agency suddenly requested that a gift exchange machine be set up in a new community recycling center to work with a smart membership card to record the weight and points of the recyclables, and then connect to the EPA's big data system. Exchange records, insufficient inventory, system abnormalities or malfunctions Information such as reports will also be uploaded.
The department also provided information on seven suppliers to the person in charge of the center, and asked them to find at least two companies for quotations.
"Hong Kong 01" refers to the list of gift redemption machine suppliers provided by the Environmental Protection Agency, among which "AI CAT International Limited" is listed as "Currently providing the Environmental Protection Agency with a smart recycling system, smart card, gift redemption machine and big data system The EPA is renting the company’s big data system.
It is understood that earlier this month, the Department required all suppliers to obtain confirmation documents for the permission to use the "Rui Mao International" big data system to meet the quotation conditions. Some suppliers were dissatisfied and questioned whether they would be charged administrative fees. Unfair competition.
Afterwards, the Environmental Protection Agency changed the quotation requirements, and the administrative costs of the supplier using the system were paid by the agency, but they still had to obtain the quotation by themselves.
Suppliers questioned unfair competition
"Rui Mao International" passed the government procurement process in June this year and won the smart recycling system test service contract, and then the system was extended to the gift exchange machine in the community recycling center.
Since the company is one of the suppliers, some suppliers who did not want to be named believe that all suppliers are competitors, but "Rui Mao International" holds the key to the data platform. It was not obtained until last Wednesday (16th). The reply stated that "the right to use the big data platform does not require administrative fees."
Another supplier, who did not want to be named, was already worried about being overcharged when the agency asked to obtain confirmation documents from "Rui Mao International" to be eligible for quotation. There were too many uncertain factors to abandon the quotation, and he wondered why the agency could not Leading the authority to use the data system, believing that the company "deeply participates in the plan and the chance of winning the bid is very high."
The Secretary for the Environment, Huang Jinxing, learned about the operation of the "Mr. Cat" smart paper recycling bin last year.
(Huang Jinxing facebook)
The plan is shelved three days before the deadline
However, in the early hours of last Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency notified the community recycling center to shelve the pilot program of gift redemption machines, explaining that it may be complicated for suppliers to connect to the big data platform, and it takes time to solve technical problems or fail to cooperate with the original. The implementation time of the pilot plan is determined, but the operating organization still needs to reserve a place for the gift exchange machine in the store to restart the plan in the future.
The person in charge of a community recycling center is confused by the EPD’s repeated revisions to the quotation guidelines, and hopes that the government clearly explains how the data will be used.
In the face of the sudden shelving of the plan, some suppliers were greatly disappointed, believing that whether they can be implemented as scheduled depends on the coordination of communication and technology, and frankly wasted the time and effort of meeting and research during this period.
"Mr. Cat" develops intelligent software products.
(webpage Screenshot)
"Rui Mao International" products from the Mainland "Mr. Cat"
According to the company registry, "Rui Cat International" was only established in June this year. The directors are Yu Guangtao, Cao Weiren and Tan Dewei. Zhong Yu and Cao are both directors of Bug Bros Biotech Limited, a research and development environmental biotechnology company.
Cao Weiren, the former chief investigator of the ICAC, revealed in a media interview last year as the chief executive of Bug Bros Biotech that he cooperated with Nanjing Mr. Cat Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Mr. Cat", which develops intelligent waste sorting products and has a data center). ) To introduce intelligent systems into Hong Kong.
It is understood that when "Rui Mao International" quoted the community recycling center, the gift exchange machine information provided was printed with the company logo of "Mr. Cat".
According to industry sources, the software and hardware used by the company come from "Mr. Cat."
The reporter once called Cao Weiren. The other party admitted that he was acting as the "Mr. Cat" machine, but it was inconvenient to disclose how the data was processed. The reporter asked the Environmental Protection Agency to inquire and refused to comment on the agency's arrangement.
Point system bearer data belongs to EPA
The Environmental Protection Agency replied that because the gift exchange machine suppliers stated that the smart recycling systems provided by different suppliers have practical technical and commercial difficulties in docking, and more time is needed to solve them, so they reconsider setting up self-service exchange machines in all community recycling centers. The timetable, but it will not affect the convenient recycling arrangements for the promotion of the bearer points system to all green areas and community recycling centers in Hong Kong.
The agency explained that from mid-September this year to mid-October next year, "Rui Mao International" must test smart recycling boxes and gift redemption machines in mobile recycling vehicles and two "green areas" in accordance with the contract requirements. The system can be used with unregistered points The card will only store the recycled materials returned by the cardholder and the points earned, and will not store any personal information.
The spokesperson said that with the consent of "Rui Mao International", the database will be opened to other self-service gift exchange machine suppliers, and explained that the collected data belongs to the Environmental Protection Agency. The data will be statistically analyzed and used as an evaluation of the intelligent recycling system. Reference for feasibility of local application.
The spokesman also pointed out that the data system is temporarily provided by the test service contractor. After the test period, the EPA will start to build the data system by itself.
The new image of community recycling centers will be launched in 18 districts in Hong Kong, with reward and punishment mechanism to increase motivation
The Environmental Protection Agency's waste paper recycling service will start tomorrow. The recycling price for the first half of the year is not less than 7 cents per kilogram
The processing volume of the South China Food Waste Plant has not reached the standard for many years, and the operation will be closed early for seven and a half years
Recycled plastic bottles can be exchanged for cash rebate for the Environmental Protection Department's introduction of the bottle machine pilot project
Recycling Environmental Protection Agency