Finding 1216687 (2025-002)

Material Weakness Repeat Finding
Requirement
F
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2025
Accepted
2026-06-04
Audit: 403119
Organization: Guam Waterworks Authority (GU)

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Eight electric vehicles costing $303,960 were not recorded in the federally funded fixed asset register, violating 2 CFR § 200.313(d).
  • Impacted Requirements: Accurate property records for federally funded equipment must include details like description, cost, and acquisition date.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: GWA should enhance controls by implementing timely recording procedures, conducting periodic reconciliations, and providing training to staff on compliance.

Finding Text

Finding No.: 2025-002 Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Interior AL Program: Economic, Social, and Political Development of the Territories Award No.: D22AP00317 Area: Equipment and Real Property Management Questioned Cost: $303,960 Criteria: 2 CFR § 200.313(d) requires non-federal entities to maintain accurate property records for equipment acquired with federal funds. Such records must include, at a minimum, a description of the property, serial number or other identification number, source of funding, acquisition date, cost, location, use and condition, and ultimate disposition data. Condition: We identified that 8 electric vehicles, with a total cost of $303,960, acquired during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2025, were not included in the federally funded fixed asset register. Cause: GWA did not consistently follow established procedures to ensure that all federally funded equipment acquisitions were recorded in the federally funded fixed asset register in a timely and complete manner. Effect or Potential Effect: Failure to maintain complete and accurate records for federally funded equipment increases the risk of noncompliance with federal regulations. It may also result in improper tracking, safeguarding, and reporting of assets, potentially leading to questioned costs and audit findings. Recommendation: We recommend that GWA strengthen its controls over equipment and real property management by implementing procedures to ensure that all federally funded asset acquisitions are promptly and accurately recorded in the Federally Funded Fixed Asset Register. Management should also perform periodic reconciliations between procurement records and the asset register and provide training to responsible personnel to ensure compliance with federal requirements. Identification as a Repeat Finding: Not applicable. Views of Responsible Officials: GWA concurs with the finding. The eight electric vehicles identified in the finding were properly procured, capitalized and recorded in the Authority’s main fixed asset register; however, due to an administrative oversight, the assets were not included in the federally funded fixed asset register during FY2025. Following discussions with personnel involved in the transaction processing and asset recording, GWA determined that established internal procedures were generally followed; however, due to staffing constraints at the time, the assets were not properly coded with the applicable federally funded identifier when added to the Authority’s main fixed asset register. As a result, the assets were inadvertently omitted from the federally funded fixed asset register. Management notes that the omission was limited to the federally funded fixed asset register and did not affect the existence, safeguarding or operational use of the assets. The vehicles were physically accounted for, supported by procurement and payment documentation and properly reflected in the Authority’s general accounting records.

Corrective Action Plan

Finding 2025-002 Corrective Action Plan: GWA has updated the federally funded fixed asset register to include the omitted assets and has implemented additional procedures to strengthen compliance with 2 CFR § 200.3 13(d). Corrective actions include the following: 1. Finance personnel will review capital asset additions to identify federally funded assets and ensure the appropriate federally funded asset code is assigned when recorded in the Authority’s main fixed asset register. 2. Federally funded assets will be recorded in the federally funded fixed asset register and periodically reconciled to related procurement and capital expenditures records to ensure completeness and accuracy. 3. A supervisory review process has been enhanced to verify that federally funded asset codes are properly assigned prior to posting and that federally funded assets are accurately reflected in the federally funded fixed asset register. Additionally, at the general ledger level, fund source identifiers will be incorporated into the asset close-out journal entry process to furtlier strengthen visibility and review of federally funded asset activity. 4. Finance personnel responsible for asset recording will be briefed on federal property management requirements and revised internal procedures related to federally funded asset coding, tracking and reporting. GWA believes these corrective measures adequately address the control gap identified in the finding and will ensure compliance with 2 CFR § 200.3 13(d) on a prospective basis. Expected completion date: September 30, 2026 Point of contact for Follow-Up: Bryan Iriarte, Accountant III Josephine Sanalila, Accountant III Sandra Santos, Controller

Categories

Equipment & Real Property Management

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 1216686 2025-001
    Material Weakness Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
15.875 ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE TERRITORIES $1.03M
97.036 DISASTER GRANTS - PUBLIC ASSISTANCE (PRESIDENTIALLY DECLARED DISASTERS) $1.03M
21.027 CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS $658,643
66.600 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION CONSOLIDATED GRANTS FOR THE INSULAR AREAS - PROGRAM SUPPORT $141,805