Hsinchu County's 1999 Hotline to Become 24-Hour Service for Uninterrupted Governance

(CNA, Hsinchu County, May 19, by reporter Kuo Hsuan-Wen) The Hsinchu County Government announced today that its 1999 citizen service hotline will be adjusted to 24-hour service starting from the 22nd, continuing to provide diverse services such as consultations, complaints, and repair requests to ensure county government services are available around the clock. According to press materials from the Hsinchu County Government, the 1999 citizen service hotline has already implemented a system where the first 5 minutes of a call are free, effective since January of this year. This service applies to landline and monthly subscription mobile phones within Hsinchu County, with a no-interruption principle for calls; charges for calls exceeding 5 minutes are borne by the user. The county government stated that the 1999 citizen service hotline is a communication bridge between the government and its citizens. Through the dual approach of 'free for the first 5 minutes' and 'extended service hours,' they hope to realize the governance philosophy of a 'Happy Hsinchu' and advance Hsinchu County towards becoming a smarter, more livable city. Chou Chiu-Yao, Director of the Hsinchu County Government's Department of Administrative Services, told a CNA reporter that the 1999 hotline is staffed by professional operators who provide various county administration consultations, handle complaints, report maintenance issues, and offer call-forwarding services. He added that the county government also offers multiple channels for complaints, such as the 'Citizen Mailbox' and the 'Hsinchu e999' app, allowing the public to report local issues at any time. Upon receiving a case, the county government will assign it to the relevant department based on jurisdiction to enhance administrative efficiency and the quality of public service.