VOA标准英语2010年-New Audits Cite Lax Oversight of US Co

The U.S. Special Inspector¹ General for Iraq Reconstruction² has criticized the State Department for its management of nearly $3 billion in contracts and grants in Iraq. 

In two reports, auditors⁴ cited weak and ineffective State Department oversight⁵ of a $2.5 billion contract for police training and a grant of $250 million for programs to build democratic institutions.

The first report found that lax oversight of the police training contract with DynCorp International has left the contract's funds vulnerable to fraud and abuse.

Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen says the issue of oversight has long plagued the DynCorp contract.

"This is not a new issue.  It's one we pointed⁶ out previously⁷ in reviews of the police training oversight there.  But it's a troubling issue because not enough progress has been made in addressing the problems we have uncovered in our prior reports," he said.

Bowen points to questionable⁸ invoices⁹ from DynCorp, such as an order for electric power generators¹⁰ it already had and payments for real estate that far exceeded local market value. 

Bowen say the State Department does not have enough personnel to monitor the costs associated with the police training contract.

"What this audit³ is really about, though, is weaknesses in controls over the review of DynCorp's invoices.  These are enormous invoices with thousands of line items charging millions of dollars, and you have one person essentially¹¹ actively¹² reviewing them.  And that's insufficient," he said.

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Monday that the department acknowledges the need for more auditors in Iraq.  But he took issue with the report's assertions regarding vulnerability to fraud and waste.

"I don't think that we agree with the characterization in that report.  But we will continue to work with the I.G. [i.e., Inspector General] on it," he said.

In a written statement, DynCorp says its performance of the contract has been "exemplary" and that the firm welcomes thorough scrutiny¹³ of its billing and invoices.

In the second report, auditors questioned the effectiveness of grants totaling some $248 million to the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute for democracy promotion¹⁴.

Bowen says both groups engage in a variety of programs to help build civil institutions in post-Saddam Iraq.

"It's called 'democracy-building' - specifically, training for elections, training for political parties, training for all aspects of the electoral process.  Iraq is a fledgling democracy.  It has no foundation from which to work in this regard.  And there have been five elections in the past six years in Iraq, and that has required essentially a system to be built from scratch coming out of the tyranny that preceded it," he said.

Although these grants are small compared to the police training contract, Bowen says the problems are the same.

"[They are] a much smaller effort, but similar nevertheless in that there is not sufficient oversight being carried out in-country - both in review of expenditures¹⁵ and in provision of outcomes.  The grants themselves require pretty detailed¹⁶ reporting on achievements.  And we found that that is just not being done.  Very cursory¹⁷ reporting is being provided regarding these grants," he said.

Without detailed reporting, Bowen says, the effectiveness of the two programs cannot be accurately¹⁸ gauged¹⁹.  A National Democratic Institute official, who asked not to be named, says his organization's reporting on its activities has been detailed and far in excess of State Department requirements.

Auditors also noted²⁰ that the National Democratic Institute, or NDI, spent almost one-third of grant funds for security, and that the International Republican Institute used more than half of its funds for the same purpose.  The NDI official said the organization's security costs were moderate and reasonable in light of the situation in Iraq.  In a written statement, the International Republican Institute denies that its security costs were excessive.  A previous Inspector General report found that security costs for contractors²¹ and grantees in Iraq ranged between 24 and 53 percent of the contract or grant.

1 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

2 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

3 audit   

v.审计；查帐；核对；旁听

参考例句：

• Each year they audit our accounts and certify them as being true and fair.他们每年对我们进行账务审核，以确保其真实无误。
• As usual,the yearly audit will take place in December.跟往常一样，年度审计将在十二月份进行。

4 auditors   

n.审计员，稽核员( auditor的名词复数 )；（大学课程的）旁听生

参考例句：

• The company has been in litigation with its previous auditors for a full year. 那家公司与前任审计员已打了整整一年的官司。
• a meeting to discuss the annual accounts and the auditors' report thereon 讨论年度报表及其审计报告的会议

5 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

6 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

7 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

8 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

9 invoices   

发票( invoice的名词复数 )； （发货或服务）费用清单； 清单上货物的装运； 货物的托运

参考例句：

• Take the example of a purchasing clerk keying invoices into a system. 继续说录入员输入发票的例子，这个录入员是一个全职的数据输入人员。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Consular invoices are declarations made at the consulate of the importing country. 领事发票是进口国领事馆签发的一种申报书。

10 generators   

n.发电机，发生器( generator的名词复数 )；电力公司

参考例句：

• The factory's emergency generators were used during the power cut. 工厂应急发电机在停电期间用上了。
• Power can be fed from wind generators into the electricity grid system. 电力可以从风力发电机流入输电网。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

12 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

13 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

14 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

15 expenditures   

n.花费( expenditure的名词复数 )；使用；（尤指金钱的）支出额；（精力、时间、材料等的）耗费

参考例句：

• We have overspent.We'll have to let up our expenditures next month. 我们已经超支了，下个月一定得节约开支。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The pension includes an allowance of fifty pounds for traffic expenditures. 年金中包括50镑交通费补贴。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

17 cursory   

adj.粗略的；草率的；匆促的

参考例句：

• He signed with only a cursory glance at the report.他只草草看了一眼报告就签了名。
• The only industry mentioned is agriculture and it is discussed in a cursory sentence.实业方面只谈到农业,而且只是匆匆带了一句。

18 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。

19 gauged   

adj.校准的；标准的；量规的；量计的v.（用仪器）测量( gauge的过去式和过去分词 )；估计；计量；划分

参考例句：

• He picked up the calipers and gauged carefully. 他拿起卡钳仔细测量。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Distance is gauged by journey time rather than miles. 距离以行程时间而非英里数来计算。 来自辞典例句

20 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

21 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》