The Defense Contract Audit Agency released fewer audit reports last year than compared to 2008 in an effort to cut down a large backlog volume, Federal Times reports.
Incurred cost audits are contracts which government agencies have already paid for that have not yet been reviewed.
DCAA has an estimated backlog of incurred cost audits totaling around $560 billion, according to Federal Times.
Agency spokeswoman Lt. Col. Elizabeth Robbins told Federal Times an exact count for audits nearing the six year limitation is not yet available but DCAA is prioritizing the old audits to prevent overdue penalties.
If the government does not review a contract within six years of it being awarded, it loses the ability to dispute the amount.
In 2003, DCAA published 29,780 audits, contested $8 billion in expenses and recorded $2 billion in net savings.
In 2011, the agency released 7,390 audits,, questioned $12 billion worth of charges and saved $3.5 billion, Federal Times reports.
What is the citation for the statement “If the government does not review a contract within six years of it being awarded, it loses the ability to dispute the amount”?