The Defense Department and USAID bought a whole bunch of electrical equipment, including 55,000 meters to improve power distribution in Kandahar, Afghanistan, under a series of contracts valuded at $88 million dating back to August 2010.
The Pentagon’s Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction checked out the power project earlier this year and found supplies nicely shrink-wrapped in warehouses or – in the case of power poles or wire – neatly stacked outside.
The meters, the IG said in a report released Tuesday, have a warranty expiration date of March 2014, which could happen before installation.
That looks likely, the IG reported, due to a finger pointing exercise over which agency and contractor has responsibility for installation – and to date, no install plan has been developed.
This mess has resulted in $12.8 million worth of electrical gear sitting unused in a warehouse. I realize that such a sum is viewed as a rounding error at the Pentagon, but add enough rounding errors together and you end up with real money.
Bob Brewin
Bob Brewin joined Government Executive in April 2007, bringing with him more than 20 years of experience as a journalist focusing on defense issues and technology. Bob covers the world of defense and information technology for Nextgov, and is the author of the “What’s Brewin” blog.
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