Pcard | The Contracting Education Academy

October 23, 2019 By cs

How GSA plans to capture $6 billion in under-the-radar spending

The General Services Administration (GSA) plans to see if micro-purchasing innovation makes a big difference in agency acquisition.

Each year, federal agencies spend billions of dollars collectively making purchases using their federal government purchase cards or other micro-purchase methods, which receive little notice on a governmentwide scale when compared with higher-value contracts.

GSA is currently looking for a way to change that, by offering an e-marketplace platform that not only allows agencies to more easily search for and make those smaller-cost purchases, but also gives GSA and user agencies better data about how their spending stacks up.

At the beginning of October, GSA released its request for proposals for a proof-of-concept of the program, which will kick off a three-year maximum test to see whether a government-organized e-marketplace is more valuable than agencies simply making these purchases on their own, as they do now.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.federaltimes.com/acquisition/2019/10/18/how-gsa-plans-to-capture-6b-in-under-the-radar-spending/

February 9, 2017 By AMK

GSA seeks proposals for huge governmentwide charge card contract

The General Services Administration (GSA) is seeking proposals for a massive new contract it will award this summer for its governmentwide charge card payment program.

The agency issued a request for proposals on Wednesday for GSA SmartPay 3, the next iteration of a nearly 20-year-old program that provides the government with purchase, travel, fleet, and integrated payment solutions. The contract runs through Nov. 28, 2021, with a potential extension to 2031.The current contract for GSA SmartPay 2 expires on Nov. 29, 2018.

The estimate total value for the SP3 contract is $700 billion, according to the RFP.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.govexec.com/management/2017/02/gsa-seeks-proposals-huge-governmentwide-charge-card-contract/135141/

October 10, 2016 By AMK

GSA’s IG says Pcard program is vulnerable to illegal, improper, or erroneous purchases

GSA may not identify illegal, improper, or erroneous purchases because the controls over the resolution of questionable purchase card transactions are not operating effectively.

pcard That’s one of the findings of the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the General Services Administration in a report issued September 30, 2016. The OIG found that purchase card (Pcard) transactions are not properly and fully supported, reported, and approved to ensure the goods and services are business-related. The audit report also finds that GSA lacks controls to routinely monitor purchase card transactions to identify split transactions, which increases the risk that GSA cardholder violations of federal acquisition regulations concerning micro-purchase authority will go undetected.

The finding align with the purpose of the audit. The objectives of the OIG’s audit were to determine whether: 1) GSA’s purchase card program has controls in place to ensure purchase cardholders are in compliance with GSA’s purchase card policies, 2) GSA purchase card transactions are properly and fully supported, reported, and approved, and 3) GSA purchase card use above the single transaction limit of $3,000 complies with acquisition laws.

Based on the audit, the OIG recommended that:

GSA management enforce existing GSA operating policy (specifically, GSA Order OAS 4200.1A on the subject of Management and Use of the GSA SmartPay Purchase Card;
Ensure questionable charges are identified, reviewed, and resolved; and
Ensure that the Charge Card Management Division fully develops and implements its existing Pcard monitoring system, and performs routine tests of split transactions.

GSA management concurred with the audit report findings and recommendations.

September 29, 2016 By AMK

Lawmakers want more than ‘half-hearted’ response to travel card use at casinos and strip clubs

A bipartisan group of six House members has written to Defense Secretary Ash Carter demanding more than a “half-hearted” response from the Pentagon’s financial systems managers following a recent watchdog report showing continued use of government travel cards at casinos and strip clubs.

DOD IG The Defense Department inspector general’s review of 30 cases of potential travel card abuse totaling $952,258 last year found that managers “did not take appropriate action when notified.” Even though many of the abusers repay the government for personal visits to entertainment emporiums during official travel, the report said, “DoD management did not consistently consider the security implications of improper personal use of the travel card.”

The lawmakers, led by Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, wrote that “the department has not taken steps to eliminate additional misuse of the government travel cards, initiated reviews for improper payments, or consistently considered the security implications of the misused travel cards. As a result, the government travel card program remains susceptible to continued waste and exploitation.”

Keep reading this article at: http://www.govexec.com/technology/2016/09/lawmakers-want-more-half-hearted-response-travel-card-use-casinos-strip-clubs/131768

August 14, 2015 By AMK

Postal Service purchase card program needs better oversight, new audit finds

A new U.S. Postal Service audit found inadequate oversight in regards to the use of expense purchase cards despite policies and procedures in place.

The USPS inspector general (IG) said in an Aug. 7, 2015 report that, of the 209 transactions – worth $72,333 – it reviewed, 133 were missing the required documentation. And, of those missing, 51 were made without proper approval.

Additionally, cardholders for 42 percent of the transactions and approving officials for 41 percent either did not take the required expense purchase card training or could not provide proof of completion, the IG said.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.fiercegovernment.com/story/postal-service-purchase-card-program-needs-better-oversight-new-audit-finds/2015-08-12

The General Services Administration (GSA) plans to see if micro-purchasing innovation makes a big difference in agency acquisition.

GSA may not identify illegal, improper, or erroneous purchases because the controls over the resolution of questionable purchase card transactions are not operating effectively.

A bipartisan group of six House members has written to Defense Secretary Ash Carter demanding more than a “half-hearted” response from the Pentagon’s financial systems managers following a recent watchdog report showing continued use of government travel cards at casinos and strip clubs.

A new U.S. Postal Service audit found inadequate oversight in regards to the use of expense purchase cards despite policies and procedures in place.

Search this Website