Recommendation #2 The Public Affairs Officer ensure that the Information Officer submits all outstanding travel vouchers as required by 6 FAM 116.1. Action PAO Done. The subject travel vouchers have been completed and processed. submission was June 3, 1983. Date of Recommendation #3 USIS administrative property be recorded, inventoried, and reported in accordance with MOA IV 953.5b (2), 955.8a and 6 FAM 220-230. Action PAO In process. The administrative property inventory has been discussed with the Embassy Property Officer. A current inventory is now being taken and will reflect an adjustment to last year's report which was never forwarded to Washington. Submission will be made for 1983 as soon as the inventory check is completed. Recommendation #4 Unusable property be removed from the warehouse and transferred to the Embassy for sale: it is further recommended that the Post, as prescribed by Agency regulations, establish and maintain a schedule for replacing administrative and program property and budget for the items in the annual going rate. USIS Done. The warehouse at the old Motor Pool has been completely cleared. Property that is no longer used in residences has been turned over to the Embassy for sale or disposal. Property which required refinishing or refurbishing has been turned over to GSO for the required action. property is now stored in a new mission-wide warehouse facility, enclosed in liftvans and is ready for use as required. Post regrets that the Auditor did not mention the need to increase the funds available to allow an orderly replacement of furniture and equipment. Recommendation #5 The Post: (a) comply with instruction in MOA IV 955.8b and return a corrected and certified copy of the 1982 Property Inventory Register to the Agency and (b) follow-up on the Survey Report of August 1, 1982, to determine results in order that Agency records can be adjusted MOA IV 957, 959.2b. (a) Done. Post's Property Inventory Register for 1982 was submitted to M/AOF on November 16, 1982. (9) In process. Post has followed up on the Survey Report of August 1, 1982, and it will be resubmitted soon. A full inventory of the program property was completed last year before the PIR was submitted and the Survey Report assembled. The records have been entered into the Word Processor and will be thoroughly checked against the 1983 PIR. The automated record also gives an account of the condition of the equipment and the dates of acquisition. ΤΟ the extent possible within the available funds, post plans to replace items which are in poor condition. Recommendation #6 The PAO designate an Accountable Property Officer for program property. Action PAO Agree. The PAO will designate the Executive Officer as Accountable Property Officer. Recommendation #7 The Post comply with MOA IV 744.3, 959.2 and Exhibit 950E in forwarding sales documentation to the Agency. Action PAO In process. The Executive Officer has talked with the Embassy Contracting Officer who is responsible for submission of the subject documents. The Contracting Officer has been requested to submit the report to USIS for addition of the correct FSC number which identifies the type of property and the account at the U.S.Treasury to which the funds should be deposited. Recommendation #8 USIS comply with the Mission Policy and collect $9.00 per month from each employee who is provided home-to- office transportation, commencing with the month such transportation was first used at the mandatory monthly charge. Action PAO Post does not believe that this Recommendation should be implemented. Unless there is a specific reference in FAM/MOA of which post unaware, we are assuming the PAO has the authority to authorize home/office/home transportation by USIS vehicles without cost to the employee if circumstances warrant. In the case of Cairo the particular circumstances which indicate this should be done are: A. There is no parking for private or official vehicles on the Embassy compound, or in the motor pool, or on the perimeter. B. Parking in the streets is unsafe for the vehicles and constitutes a security risk. In view of the above, the Acting Public Affairs Officer continues to authorize the home/office/home transportation without cost to the individual officer. Any employee who uses official vehicles for private transportation will pay at the usual rate. Auditor's Note to Recommendation #8 The post erred when assuming the PAO has authority to approve residence to office transportation by Government-owned (USIS) vehicles without cost to employees. Neither this authority nor authority to approve the transportation has been assigned or relinquished to Public Affairs Officers. Both are chief of mission prerogatives. Paragraphs a and b of 6 FAM 237.2-1 establish guidelines for authorizing the use of Government-owned vehicles to furnish transportation between residence and office and collecting a charge for such transportation. This section states in Para. a: "A chief of a diplomatic mission may determine that transportation between residence and office is required at mission and/or a constitutuent post or posts." and in Para. b: "Transportation to and from work is normally the responsibility of the employee. Therefore, the chief of a diplomatic mission shall impose a charge for such transportation except when chief of mission determines that unusual and unique circumstances exist which justify waiving the charge." The Embassy has followed 6 FAM 237.2-1. The chief of mission authorized the use of Government-owned vehicles to furnish residence to office transportation to employees, and imposed "***a modest fee of only $9 per month (or $4.50 for half month) per employee for use of residence to office transportation." This policy is contained in Embassy Administrative Memorandum No. 3 dated July 2, 1982. Notwithstanding the fact that they are not requisite in the case at hand (the Ambassador already has determined that transportation between residence and office is required), reasons USIS gives for waiving the monthly charge for transportation more appropriately are reasons for furnishing residence to office transportation. Therefore, the conclusion that they are unusual and unique circumstances that justify waiving the charge does not follow from the evidence on which it is based. USIS has no choice but to follow mission policy on residence to office transportation by Government-owned vehicle. The $9 a month fee imposed for such transportation should be collected and deposited in accordance with 6 FAM 237.2-1c.c. Recommendation #9 The Agency (E/X) instruct the Commission to handle interest earned on U.S. Government funds according to instructions in Section 206.4 of the revision Manual for Binational Commissions. Auditor's Note to Recommendation #9 E/X has sent a cable to the Binational Commission in Egypt requesting that the Recommendation #10 The PAO ensure that the Commission prepares quarterly and annual financial statements, including a balance sheet, statement of operations, and statement of changes in financial position Manual for Binational Commission Section 205a & b. Action Done. The Exectuive Director reports that they have changed their accounting methods to conform with the Manual for Binational Commission Section 250 a & Reports will be properly submitted in the future. b. Recommendation #11 (a) The Post be advised, in writing, of the plans to merge the Office of VOA Correspondent and the Arabic Service: and (b) the Arabic Service be required to make a full accounting of the radio equipment in its custody. (A) VOA's Action. Per the October 1982 Inspection Recommendation, USIA/B/VOA is requested to fund the merger of the office of the VOA Arabic Service with the office of the VOA Regional Correspondent. The Post cannot attempt to locate appropriate quarters until funds are available as property in Cairo is at such a premium that we must be able to sign a lease at once when the decision is made that the property in question is suitable for housing the two offices. We await authorization from VOA to proceed. (B) In process. The Executive Officer checked the VOA Property Inventory Record with the Chief of the Arabic Service office. Only a fraction of the property present in that office appears on the register. The Chief is presently identifying each item for entry into the register. There is some question as to whether many of the major items belong to VOA Cairo or VOA Rhodes. Post will assist VOA Arabic Service to the extent possible to make a full accounting, but VOA Washington ultimately has the responsibility to sort this out. Recommendation #12 Blanket travel authorizations no longer be issued to employees of the VOA Action PAO VOA's Action. The Executive Officer discussed the matter of the blanket travel orders with the Chief of the VOA Arabic Service who insists that the blanket travel orders are necessary. As USIS Cairo does not hold direct supervisory authority over the Arabic Service, final decision on this matter is VCA Washington's responsibility. Auditor's Comment Replies from the Post indicate satisfactory compliance with the four minor findings listed in Exhibit "A" Memorandum of Administrative Findings. |