The year 2000 may turn out to be more memorable for its potential to cause chaos in the Government than 1997.
A detailed study by the Information Technology Services Department has estimated that 20 per cent of the Government's computer systems will malfunction when the year flips from 1999 to 2000.
'This is an industry-wide problem. Obviously, the Government is a big user of information technology and we're fully aware of it,' Sophie Lam Lee Ching-sau, assistant director of technical services, said.
The Inland Revenue said it had also discovered its systems would require changes, raising the spectre of taxpayers presented with bills charging a century of tax.
The 'year 2000 bug' has spawned a substantial industry in rewriting old computer programs.
Mrs Lam said the department, which is responsible for more than 20,000 computers worth about $2 billion, would soon apply to the Legislative Council for funds to undertake a full study to estimate the amount of work carried out to make its systems 'year-2000 compliant'.