DEFENSE SECURITY COOPERATION AGENCY |
5/18/2010 | |
MEMORANDUM FOR :
DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE ARMY SUBJECT : Changes to Air Transportation Process for Pricing and Billing on Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and FMS-Like Cases (DSCA Policy 10-32) REFERENCE :
In accordance with the Department of Defense Financial Management Regulation (DoDFMR), 7000.14-R, Vol. 15, transportation charges on Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) documents are generally calculated using DTCs to compute an estimated amount. After performing an in-depth review and analysis of these charges, DSCA issued the referenced memorandum, which increased the percentage rates for DTCs 7 and 9, for shipments to countries within zone "b." These increases were necessary to ensure amounts collected were sufficient to ensure the continued solvency of the FMS Transportation Account. I indicated in the memorandum that we would continue to review the account, transportation rates, and processes to develop alternatives for improving the accuracy of our estimates. For the last several months, DSCA led a working group of transportation experts from the Military Departments, United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), Defense Logistics Agency, Defense Contract Management Agency, and Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) to develop better ways to estimate and track transportation costs associated with FMS and FMS-like cases. During its deliberations, the group considered a variety of options designed to improve the accuracy of transportation pricing on LOA documents, as well as to ensure purchasers receiving transportation services are charged appropriately. Some of the options discussed included: (1) Putting all transportation charges as a direct "above-the-line" service cost, (2) Putting air transportation charges as a direct charge "above-the-line" and leaving the remaining transportation charges "below-the-line", (3) Creating new percentage-based transportation rates for contingency zones (still as a "below-the-line" cost), (4) Developing separate percentage-based rates for air transportation (still as a "below-the-line" cost), (5) Developing cost estimates based on historical data (still as a "below-the-line" cost), and (6) Continuing with "status quo," making no changes to the existing estimation processes. After carefully considering all the options, the group recommended that all air transportation charges should be priced/billed as an "above-the-line" charge (Option (2) above.) As authorized by the Security Assistance Management Manual (SAMM), Chapter 7; section C7.18.1, Implementing Agencies (IAs) already provide some premium air transportation as a direct charge "above-the-line" (e.g. Special Assignment Airlift Mission.). This recommended policy change would extend that direct charge "above-the-line" pricing to all air transportation, either as a separate service line on each LOA or as a requirement against a blanket country/program transportation case. The associated air transportation expenses would be billed as a direct charge to the case and not recovered from the FMS Transportation Account. At present, this new pricing policy for all FMS and FMS-like cases will be implemented only for the Afghanistan program because a significant amount of program air transportation currently is processed on a direct charge, "above-the-line" basis. This will provide IAs an early insight into the process for possible issues before remaining purchasers and programs transition to the new policy. This new pricing policy will not be extended to other geographic areas without first consulting affected stakeholders and obtaining the agreement of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller). Effective June 1: all defense articles delivered by air transportation on or after this date for the Afghanistan program (FMS and FMS-like cases) will be charged as an "above-the-line" direct charge.
When delivery reporting transportation for a defense article that is shipped via air transportation, a Transportation Bill Code (TBC) must be used to override the DTC to ensure that air transportation is not charged as a "below-the-line" charge to the purchaser. The TBCs are identified in the DoDFMR, 7000.14-R, Volume 15, Chapter 8. In emergency situations when air shipment must be the mode of transportation, but a separate air transportation case or line does not exist and the IA has insufficient time to amend the case, the IAs will use a generic "above-the-line" Transportation Account Code (TAC)(exceptional use only with the approval of the Service point of contact) to execute the shipping requirement. If a generic TAC is used, the following must be accomplished in order to ensure the specific case requiring the air transportation gets billed for the cost.
The SAMM, Chapter 7; section C7.18.1. "DTS Transportation Cost," will be revised. My staff will synchronize changes with other transportation-related documents such as the DoDFMR, 7000.14-R, Volume 15, Chapter 7, the Defense Transportation Regulation, and the Implementing Agencies Manuals and Guidance to ensure the Security Cooperation community effectively implements this change. While this change will greatly alleviate the strain on the FMS Transportation account, I request that the IAs ensure that only surface transportation costs are charged "below-the-line" and that costs not covered by the DTCs rates be charged as "above-the-line" costs and charged appropriately. Examples of these include costs related to tagging and tracking, containers not being returned to the transportation provider, assessment of storage fees for shipments not delivered in a timely manner, etc. This transportation process change has been coordinated with the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller). DSCA will work with USTRANSCOM to ensure the timely payment of transportation bills under this new policy. I thank you for assisting in our efforts to keep the FMS Transportation Account solvent. If you have any questions, please contact Rita Chico at (703) 602-3632 or by e-mail at rita.chico@dsca.mil. Jeffrey A. Wieringa CC :
STATE/PM-RSAT |