“Transportation Audits” What do Agencies need to know? June 28, 2012 1.
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Transcript of “Transportation Audits” What do Agencies need to know? June 28, 2012 1.
“Transportation Audits”
What do Agencies need to know?
June 28, 2012
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Audits Overview• What’s Mandated (Pre-Payment)• Agency Pre-Payment Requirements• What’s Mandated (Post Payment)• Agency Post Payment Requirements• Post Payment Process
Agenda
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What’s Mandated
Pre-payment Audit Mandated by Congress, in Public Law 105-264 under the Travel and Transportation Reform Act of 1998, effective 2002
All Federal Agencies, including DoD
Audit of transportation charges prior to payment
Agency responsible for conducting audit
Agency can create an internal pre-payment audit program; contract directly with a pre-payment audit service provider; use the a pre-payment audit contractor under GSA’s schedule; or use an electronic third party payment system
Billing errors caught immediately. Agency retains funds that would have been paid in error
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31 U.S.C. 3726 requires all agencies to establish a prepayment audit program and obtain approval from GSA:• Submit plans to: [email protected]; subject: “Agency PPA”
An acceptable audit program must: • Verify all transportation bills against filed rates and charges before
payment
• Comply with the Prompt Payment Act
• Require your agency’s paying office to offset debts, if directed by GSA’s Audit Division, from amounts owed to TSP within 3 years
• Be approved by the GSA Audit Division
• Complete accurate audits of transportation bills and notify TSP of any adjustments within 7 calendar days of receipt
• Forward documentation monthly to GSA Audit Division, which will store paid transportation bills for 10 years
Prepayment Audit Requirements
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All agencies must send all quotations, tenders, or contracts with a TSP to GSA:
• General Services Administration, Transportation Audit Division (QMCA), Crystal Plaza 4, Room 300, 2200 Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 22202, [email protected]
• If you utilize TMSS or DPS, GFM (DOD), it is not necessary to send copies of rates to GSA
Prepayment Audit Requirements
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All entities conducting prepayment audit must submit a monthly report to GSA:
• General Services Administration, Transportation Audit Division (QMCA), Crystal Plaza 4, Room 300, 2200 Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 22202, [email protected], subject: PPA Monthly Report
• At a minimum, the report must include:
– Federal Agency (to include Agency Location Code)
– Type or mode of transportation bills
– Count (number of bills reviewed)
– Billed amount
– Dollar savings to the Federal agency
– Fees
Prepayment Audit Requirements
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What’s Mandated
Post Payment AuditMandated by Congress, in The Transportation Act of 1940 as amended 31 USC 3726
All Federal Agencies, including DoD
Audit of transportation charges after payment
GSA responsible for conducting audit
GSA audits all paid transportation billings, electronic and paper, using contract auditors. The program is supported by collections
Billing errors caught after payment. GSA recovers funds that were erroneously paid
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All agencies are required to submit hard copy and electronic “paid” transportation billing documents to:
• General Services Administration, Transportation Audit Division (QMCA),Crystal Plaza 4, Room 300, 2200 Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 22202, [email protected], subject: Post Pay Docs
• If you utilize TMSS/TMS (Civilian Agencies) or DPS, GFM (DOD) or an approved Third Party Payment System it may not be necessary to provide copies of paid invoices
Post Payment Requirements
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GSA performs audits on freight and passenger transportation vouchers paid by the government in order to recover excess charges from the Transportation Service Providers.
Our commercial audit firms, under contract to GSA, continue to identify millions of dollars in excess transportation charges.
Post Payment Audits
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Passenger• Air• Bus• Train
Personal Property• Household Goods
General Commodities• Motor • Rail• Steamship
Pipelines
Our Audit Covers the Travel of People & Property
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Top Issues
Issues Top HHG Overcharges
Auxiliary Services 3,480
Weight Adjustments 3,179
Duplicate Payments 1,763
COF (Terminal Security Handling Charges) 563
SIT Charges 485
Fuel Surcharge 290
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Top Issues
Issues Top Freight Overcharges
Tender/Rate Alternation 23,066
Fuel Surcharge (Syncada) 2,314
Service Failure 1,982
Fuel Surcharge (Paper) 1,974
Services Not Authorized 1,848
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Examination process, critical elements are verified, which includes, but are not limited to:
• TSP SCAC is identified
• Mode of transportation
• Pick up and Delivery dates
• Commodities and weight are determined
• Various statutes, rules, and regulations are followed
Audit Process – Upon receipt of the bill
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Some bills are received without the information needed to effectively perform an audit.
In those cases, if there is a means of obtaining further documentation to substantiate the billings, those documents may be requested.
Audit procedures include, (but are not limited) to checking for other errors such as extension errors, correct mileage applications, duplicate billings.
Bills are Audited on an Individual Basis
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If it is determined that an overcharge exists, a notice of overcharge (NOC) is issued to the Transportation Service Provider (TSP) stating that a debt is owed to the Federal Government for which it did provide service.
TSPs have a right to dispute the NOC
Findings
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Mary Bates
Director
(703) 605-9402
Joyce Clark
Deputy Director
(703) 605-9420
Annie Scott
Accounts & Collections
Branch Chief
(703) 605-9425
Donna JackAudit Policy and ReviewBranch Chief(703) [email protected]
George Thomas, Jr.Branch ChiefDisputes ResolutionGeorge Thomas, Jr.703-603-8188 george.j.thomas @gsa.gov
VacantTSP Claims Status Inquiry(703)605-9435
Contacts – Transportation Audits Division
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Questions?
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