The first phase of a $6.8 million upgrade to Government’s financial software will go live next week.According to a statement from a Government source, the overhaul is intended to shift the preferred method of payment from cheques to electronic transactions. it will also strengthen internal controls through budget checking, which will ensure that departments have the available budget to cover each item.As a result of the change, only vendors with a valid system-generated purchase order will receive payment for goods or services provided after tomorrow, as Government will issue no more manual purchase orders.These features will reduce the time that it takes to make a payment and the associated costs to the Government. In light of this, cheque runs of the Government will be reduced and electronic payments will be the preferred mechanism of payment delivery.Starting in December, Government intends to have one cheque run per month. New vendors that engage with the Bermuda Government will only be able to receive electronic payments.The Accountant General’s Department, working under the direction of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Steering Committee, is working to implement the software, which is being upgraded from the JD Edwards World version to the Enterprise One (E1) version.This system will eventually be interfaced with all financial systems across government to provide a comprehensive ERP system.The new system will also allow internal users, as well as the public, in a later phase, to view and retrieve information regarding their salaries and benefits, accounts and payments online. Government sees this as aiding its “green” effort by reducing paper and toner use as well as reducing costs.The upgraded system will be implemented in phases. The first phase will go live on November 2.