17 Jul 2011

Payroll giving scheme reaches $3m after slow start

12:06 pm on 17 July 2011

There's been a slow start to a scheme where empoyees can donate to charity through deductions from their wages.

The payroll giving scheme was set up 18 months ago and about 1000 employers have now signed up to the programme.

So far donations have reached just over $3 million.

Revenue Minister Peter Dunne expects to see the number of people giving to increase.

He says $1.5 million was given in the past six months, with about $550,000 of that in March, following the Christchurch earthquake.