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Brought to you by the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency
Federal Reports
Report Date
Agency Reviewed / Investigated
Report Title
Type
Location
Department of Housing and Urban Development
HUD’s Purchase Card Program Had Inaccurate Records, Untimely Training, and Improper Purchases
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General audited HUD’s compliance with the purchase card program requirements for fiscal years 2017 and 2018 based on our risk assessment. Our audit objective was to determine whether HUD maintained accurate records of cardholders and transactions; HUD employees took purchase card training when required; and HUD purchase cards were used for illegal, improper, or erroneous transactions.
HUD did not have accurate and complete records of cardholders and transactions, including errors in cardholder closure dates, errors in training dates, inadequate tracking of merchant category code (MCC) overrides, and incomplete transactional data. In addition, purchase cardholders and approving officials did not always take purchase card training when required. Further, we identified 10 instances in which HUD purchase cards were used for improper purchases and incurred improper interest charges totaling $29,423.
We recommend that the Chief Procurement Officer (1) implement processes to periodically audit or reconcile the shared service provider’s records, (2) review hierarchies, (3) ensure that training is taken when required, (4) suspend cardholders or approving officials who fail to take training or repeatedly cause HUD to pay interest, and (5) research the incomplete monthly transactional data and identify a solution. In addition, we recommend that the Chief Procurement Officer (1) enhance the process to periodically analyze data for split transactions or improper MCCs, (2) improve notifications to employees, and (3) follow up on any potential issues identified.
Implement a process with ARC to ensure that cardholders and approving officials are notified before purchase card training is due to allow training to be completed in a timely manner.
Require ARC to update its MCC tracking log, to include the amount, the date of MCC override removal, and staff assigned, to ensure that an override is removed after the approved purchase is made.
Implement a process with Citibank and ARC to provide global notifications to cardholders and approving officials before autoclosures of credit card statements.
Obtain supporting documentation for the $1,807 spent on two cardholders’ purchase cards or require the vendors or cardholders to repay the funds to the applicable HUD program.
Financial Audit of the Democracy and Governance Program: Strengthen Internal Management and Governance Systems in Selected Government Institutions Managed by Centro de Estudios Ambientales y Sociales, Cooperative Agreement AID 526-A-13-00003, January 1 to
Closeout Examination of Shades' Compliance With Terms and Conditions of Fixed Amount Award AID-294-F-16-00002, Shades Negotiation Project in West Bank and Gaza, September 20, 2016 to September 19, 2017
Financial Closeout Audit of USAID Resources Managed by Biocarbon Partners Limited in Zambia Under Cooperative Agreement AID-611-A-14-00001, January 1, 2018, to January 31, 2019
OIG administers the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU or Unit) grant awards, annually recertifies the Units, and oversees the Units' performance in accordance with the requirements of the grant. As part of this oversight, OIG conducts periodic reviews of all Units and prepares public reports based on these reviews.
