[LINK] New ATO computer system

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Many unhappy returns: ATO computers misfire 

by JACOB SAULWICK April 27, 2010 - 9:34AM
<http://www.theage.com.au/technology/enterprise/many-unhappy-returns-ato-
computers-misfire-20100427-tnre.html>


Over budget and misfiring, the Australian Taxation Office's new computer 
system has another problem: the font is too small.

The computer system has been blamed for delaying the processing of 
hundreds of thousands of tax returns, and for sending out 140,000 returns 
this month without cheques.

And now a Comcare investigation into the system - part of a technology 
upgrade that is running two years late and more than $200 million over 
budget - has found it breaches the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

"ATO failed to ensure that font size of the computer application Siebel 
met or exceeded the minimum recommended height requirements specified in 
Australian/New Zealand standard," Comcare says in advice provided to the 
Community and Public Sector Union.

Comcare also says that the tax office failed to provide its staff with 
adequate training for moving to the new system.

But another complaint about the program - that it demanded excessive 
scrolling and mouse use - was not upheld.

"Whilst usage of the mouse, for both scrolling and clicking within the 
Siebel computer program was identified as being high, the ATO have 
effective reasonably practicable control measures in place," Comcare 
found.

The union's deputy secretary, Rupert Evans, said ATO staff had been 
incensed after the Herald reported last week the Tax Office had 
attributed problems in the system to human error.

"They are seething, I suppose, that the blame for what is going on is 
being attributed to them."

Mr Evans said he had received about 30 emails from tax office staff upset 
that they were being asked to bear culpability for wider problems in the 
new computer system.

Angry tax agents have inundated the Tax Office with requests about their 
clients' details, after the introduction of the new system slowed the 
processing of tax returns at the start of the year.

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Cheers,
Stephen