WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 1980
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IRD FORGING AHEAD WITH COMPUTERISATION
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THE INLAND REVENUE DEPARTMENT TODAY EMBARKS ON A $5 MILLION COMPUTER PROJECT WITH A CONTRACT FOR THE SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM, THE PTS 6000, BY PHILIPS HONG KONG LTD.
THE CONTRACT WAS SIGNED THIS MORNING BY THE IRD COMMISSIONER, MR VICTOR LADD AND MR T, MEYER, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF PHILIPS.
THE NEW COMPUTER SYSTEM WILL HELP RELIEVE THE HEAVY WORKLOAD ON THE DEPARTMENT RESULTING FROM THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF TAX-PAYERS, BY REDUCING PAPER-HANDLING AND EXCESSIVE MANUAL
INVOLVEMENT, IT WILL ALSO HELP PROVIDE BETTER SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC.
INITIALLY, 36 COMPUTERISED CASH RECEIPTING MACHINES WILL BE INSTALLED AT THE COLLECTING COUNTERS OF THE DEPARTMENT AT WINDSOR HOUSE, AT ITS HEADQUARTERS, AS WELL AS ITS KOWLOON AND TSUEN WAN BRANCHES, NINETEEN ADDITIONAL COMPUTERISED MACHINES WILL BE INSTALLED BY 1983-84.
ALL RECEIPTING INFORMATION AT EACH WORK STATION WILL BE INSTANTLY TRANSMITTED TO THE TREASURY THROUGH A DIRECT COMMUNICATION LINE FOR STORAGE IN COMPUTER MEDIA. AT THE END OF THE DAY, MAGNETIC TAPES WILL BE PRODUCED FOR UPDATING THE MAIN COMPUTER RECORD AT THE GOVERNMENT'S DATA PROCESSING DIVISION.
THE PROJECT IS NOT A STAND-ALONE SYSTEM OR AN ISOLATED DEVELOPMENT. THE SYSTEM WILL IN DUE COURSE BE INTEGRATED WITH THE DATA BASE SYSTEM TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN 1981 WHEN MOST OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT WILL BE COMPUTERISED.
THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN USING ELECTRO-MECHANICAL CASH REGISTERS AT ITS TSUEN WAN, KOWLOON AND HONG KONG REGIONAL COLLECTION COUNTERS.
THESE REQUIRE MANUAL EFFORT IN PREPARING RECEIPTING INFORMATION BEFORE UPDATING THE COMPUTER RECORDS FOR SALARIES TAX-PAYERS AND BUSINESS REGISTRATIONS. MANAGEMENT REPORTS CANNOT BE READY FOR USE UNTIL 24 TO 48 HOURS LATER.
THE TIME CONSUMING PROCEDURES LEAD TO SURCHARGE NOTICES BEING ISSUED TO TAXPAYERS WHO HAVE SETTLED THEIR TAX ON THE SAME DAY. THIS TIME LAPSE WILL BE ELIMINATED ONCE THE NEW COMPUTER SYSTEM COMES INTO OPERATION.
OTHER THAN SUPPLYING TERMINAL COMPUTERS AND COMPUTER I SED WORK STATIONS FROM THE PTS 6000 SYSTEM, PHILIPS WILL ALSO BE SUPPLYING SOFTWARE PACKAGES SPECIALLY DESIGNED TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE INLAND REVENUE DEPARTMENT.
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