Review of Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund Unmatched Disbursements at the Department of State

Review of Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund Unmatched Disbursements at the Department of State
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Total Pages: 15
Release: 2007
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This report discusses the results of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) review of internal controls over disbursements of Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Funds (IRRF) apportioned to the Department of State (DoS). On January 30, 2007, we reported the results of our reviews of internal controls related to disbursements of IRRF funds at the Department of Defense (DoD) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) [Review of Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund Unmatched Disbursements (SIGIR-06-043, January 30, 2007)]. At that time, we announced that a separate audit of unmatched disbursements at DoS would be performed due to the lack of access to data needed for our initial review, which included DoS. These are the results of our separate audit. We found that DoS has adequate internal controls to minimize the occurrence of unmatched disbursements of IRRF funds. We tested DoS's internal controls for a sample of the approximately $1.6 billion in funds obligated, and $1.3 billion in funds disbursed, as of September 30, 2006. In general, we found, that IRRF obligations and disbursements recorded in DoS's accounting system were supported by proper documentation; and that disbursements could be properly matched to existing obligations.

Review of Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund Unmatched Disbursements

Review of Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund Unmatched Disbursements
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Publisher:
Total Pages: 16
Release: 2007
Genre:
ISBN:

This review was announced on July 21, 2006, with the overall objective to determine the amount of IRRF unmatched disbursements, and whether U.S. government agencies have established adequate management controls over IRRF 1 and IRRF 2 unmatched disbursements. To accomplish this objective, we addressed these questions: 1) How much of the IRRF monies have been identified as unmatched disbursements? 2) How often are unmatched disbursements reviewed by government officials, and who makes the determination that the disbursement was an IRRF expenditure? 3) Have IRRF unmatched disbursements subsequently been identified to other IRRF projects? 4) What management controls are in place to eliminate and resolve unmatched disbursements? Our results were limited to an assessment of DoD and USAID because DoS officials did not provide access to the detailed IRRF obligations and disbursements data needed for our review. DoD and USAID have effective internal controls to prevent unmatched disbursements. We tested DoD controls over $9.2 billion in disbursements and found, in all instances that DOD disbursements could be matched with obligations in accounting records. Similarly, we tested USAID s controls over $4.3 billion in disbursements and found no unmatched disbursements.

Controls Over Unliquidated Obligations in the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund

Controls Over Unliquidated Obligations in the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund
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Total Pages: 34
Release: 2007
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Congress has authorized a total of $20.9 billion for the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund (IRRF). The Department of Defense (DoD), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Department of State (DoS) are the major recipients of IRRF funds. Obligations are recorded when an authorized agent of the federal government enters into a legally binding agreement to purchase specific goods or services. As bills are received and payments made, the recorded obligation is reduced by the payment amounts, with the balance referred to as the unliquidated obligation. Funds no longer needed may be deobligated. The purpose of this audit was to determine the amount of IRRF unliquidated obligations retained by DoD, DoS, and USAID and whether those agencies have established adequate management controls over their unliquidated obligations. This audit focused on annual reviews of unliquidated obligations that agencies should have completed for fiscal year 2006.

Interim Audit Report on Improper Obligations Using the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund (IRRF 2).

Interim Audit Report on Improper Obligations Using the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund (IRRF 2).
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Total Pages: 11
Release: 2006
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This review was announced on July 21, 2006, with the overall objective of determining the amount of Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund (IRRF) unmatched disbursements, and whether the U.S. Government agencies have established adequate management controls over IRRF unmatched disbursements. During our review of unmatched disbursements we found 96 obligations totaling about $362 million that described the vendor name as Dummy Vendor . The term Dummy Vendor was used in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Financial Management System to allow entering data into a data field for vendors when no specific vendor existed. We do not believe in using this term there was any attempt to mislead on the true status of obligations. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has since changed this terminology from dummy vendor to IRRF in-scope modifications and estimate cost-to-complete projects to more accurately reflect their purpose for the obligations. The objective of this interim audit was to assess whether these obligations of IRRF funds initially noted as Dummy Vendor met the criteria for proper obligations.

Prompt Payment Act: Analysis of Expenditures Made from the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund

Prompt Payment Act: Analysis of Expenditures Made from the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund
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Total Pages: 28
Release: 2006
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This audit report discusses the management and payment of interest penalties incurred resulting from provisions of the Prompt Payment Act by U.S. government organizations responsible for the management of the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund. Objective. The objective of this audit was to determine whether expenditures by U.S. government organizations responsible for the management of the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund were made in compliance with the Prompt Payment Act and other applicable policies and regulations. Results. During fiscal year 2005, approximately $1.4 million in interest penalty payments were made by the Army against Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund disbursements of about $5.275 billion made by Department of Defense organizations because of late payments of contractor invoices. This amount of interest exceeded an Army management goal, which stipulated that there be no more than $85 in interest penalty payments for every million dollars disbursed; in this case that amount would have been $448,381. However, the $1.4 million in interest penalties paid amounted to about $259 in interest penalties per million disbursed and exceeded the Army goal by 304 percent. As a result, interest penalties paid to contractors from the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund appropriation reduced, dollar-for-dollar, the availability of funds appropriated for the reconstruction of Iraq and for the benefit of the Iraqi people. If the Army achieves the current management goal of no more than $85 in interest penalty payments for every million dollars disbursed, for the remaining Department of Defense Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund apportioned funds of approximately $7.0 billion yet to be disbursed, the Army could avoid making interest penalty payments of more than $1.2 million and make better use of those funds to support pressing relief and reconstruction needs.