GAO report finds majority of ‘international’ labor department grants missing documentation

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(print24.com)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Government Accountability Office recently issued a report, “International Labor Grants: Labor Should Improve Management of Key Award Documentation,”which found that the Department of Labor’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) has failed to maintain proper documentation for awarded grants, according to U.S. Sens. Orrin Hatch and Lamar Alexander.

The senators continue in a press release:

The report, which was requested by Senators Hatch and Alexander found that 62 percent of award grant files had either missing documentation or no documentation at all and, of those, 15 percent of grants had no documentation at all. ILAB awarded nearly $70 million in grants to projects in foreign countries in 2013. 

“Today’s report shows that the lack of internal controls at the Department of Labor means these grants, meant to improve labor standards and to combat child labor, could instead be funding organizations that have actually been banned from partnering with the federal government,” Hatch said.  “The lack of documentation on the awarding of these grants to foreign countries is both reckless and irresponsible, especially in the current environment of fiscal restraint and budget cuts.  The Department of Labor should not be dumping millions of dollars abroad without ensuring that the funds are used correctly and responsibly, and I urge the Secretary of Labor to heed GAO’s recommendations on implementing proper internal controls regarding these grants.” 

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Authored by Kyle Olson

 

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