Tracey Martin MP
Spokesperson for Education
19 March 2013

Review Finds More Problems with Novopay

New Zealand First says that after weeks supposedly spent trying to fix the faulty Novopay system, Minister Steven Joyce has today signalled that the very first pay period of the new financial year may introduce even more new issues.

Education spokesperson Tracey Martin says today’s Technical Review on the botch-ups that Novopay has inflicted on schools still leaves many questions unanswered.

“The Technical Review concludes that the ‘core software platforms are not currently stable for delivery of the school payroll’. Why on earth did the Minister sign off on it going live then?

“How can schools and teachers have faith that in the first pay round after April 1, more problems won’t manifest with the changes to KiwiSaver payments and student loan repayment rates?

“The review also states that a ‘stable Novopay system can be achieved’. There should be no ‘can’, it should have been stable before it inflicted countless hours of unnecessary stress and an increased workload onto schools and teachers.

“Questions also remain around the back-up plan with previous payroll supplier Datacom. How much has this back-up plan cost so far, and how much is this whole fiasco expected to have cost taxpayers by the time Mr Fix-it finally lives up to his name?” says Ms Martin.

ENDS

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