Deloitte consortium wins Kiwi Saver contract

Government savings scheme technology to be up and running by April 2007

A consortium headed by Deloitte is expected to win a multi-million-dollar contract at Inland Revenue to provide technology for the Government’s Kiwi Saver scheme. The other consortium partners are SAP and EDS.

Kiwi Saver is a retirement savings scheme under which workers can contribute a minimum of 4% of their wages, with the Government to provide $1,000 to kick-start the account.
Inland Revenue is the designated clearing house. A saver will nominate an approved financial services provider, which IRD will pay the money to as it collects PAYE or self-employed contributions.

The Ministry of Economic Development is to release a tender for financial service providers shortly. Large insurers such as AMP are expected to respond.

Ross Hughson, IRD’s CIO, says the project came down to a short-list of two: the Deloitte-led consortium and IBM. He says a decision has been made and, subject to contract negotiations, will be announced this month.

Hughson wouldn’t say who the winning party was, but industry sources are confident the consortium has got the nod.

“There are a lot of glum faces at IBM,” one says.

Hughson wouldn’t confirm the value of the contract, other than to say it was in the millions of dollars.

“It has to be up and running by April next year,” he says.