OMB Cracks Down on Charge Cards

In response to recent inspector general and General Accounting Office reports citing abuses of government-issued travel and purchase cards held by federal employees, the Office of Management and Budget has told agencies that “effective improvements to internal control systems must be made if the programs are to continue” and that they should “take immediate administrative action” against any employees found to have abused the card privileges. “In cases involving possible fraud, appropriate referrals for civil and criminal investigation should be made,” OMB director Mitchell Daniels said in his memo.