Response to public demand should be based on the principles of good faith and rationality
Release:2025/05/22
In 2024, a complainant reflected to the CCAC that he had booked the facility of Outdoor Football Field of the Olympic Sports Centre at the Sports Bureau (ID) for use at 20:00 one day, but in the afternoon of that day, the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) announced that it would issue typhoon signal no. 8 at 22:00 that day. Considering the potential safety hazards on the way back home from the facility, the complainant cancelled the booking and requested the ID for refund. However, he was rejected by the ID.
Upon investigation, typhoon signal no. 3 was issued at 05:00 on the day when the relevant case occurred. The SMG announced at 17:00 that day that it would issue typhoon signal no. 8 at 22:00. Afterwards, the relevant signal was officially issued on time.
However, the ID explained to the CCAC that according to the rules of purchasing tickets of the relevant sports facilities, when the grounds of outdoor facilities are slippery due to the weather when typhoon signal no. 3 is issued, the users who have not yet used the facilities may apply to the ID for refund within a designated time limit. Nevertheless, the grounds of the outdoor facilities of the same type were not slippery at the same time slot on the same day as they were made of special materials and the facilities remained open as usual at that time. For this reason, the ID rejected the relevant application as it did not meet the aforesaid requirement.
The CCAC considered that since the SMG had clearly announced the issuance of typhoon signal no. 8 at a particular time in advance and there were safety risks on the way to and from the facility, the ID should more properly respond to residents’ reasonable demands in accordance with the principles of good faith, debureaucratisation and efficiency after ascertaining the relevant facts in order to ensure the quality and effectiveness of public administration work.
The ID agreed with the suggestions of the CCAC. It reviewed afresh the case and refund applications of the same type for that day and made a refund. Moreover, it reviewed and optimised the rules of purchasing tickets of relevant sports facilities.
