Customs Automation: Duties and Other Collections Vulnerable to Fraud and Abuse
IMTEC-90-29
Published: Feb 28, 1990. Publicly Released: Mar 27, 1990.
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Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO assessed the U.S. Customs Service's automated revenue collection and deposit processes, focusing on its internal control weaknesses.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| United States Customs Service | The Commissioner of Customs should discontinue immediately the use of the current pre-numbered collection documents and convert to a new pre-numbered format that would clearly be a recognizable change in document design or color scheme. Brokers, importers, and others likely to do business with Customs should be notified not to accept as a receipt for payment a collection document other than one in the new format. |
Customs has redesigned current pre-numbered collection documents, and replaced forms 5104 and 5119 with one form. New documents are to be issued by October 1, 1991.
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| United States Customs Service | The Commissioner of Customs should enforce stringent internal controls over the assignment and use of the new pre-numbered documents. At a minimum, internal controls should be instituted so that documents can always be traced to the individual to whom assigned, all changes in the status of documents are properly justified, and error reports on missing documents are promptly resolved. |
Customs issued new directives and redesigned the Automated Collection System to track documents to individuals in July 1991. New documents were issued in May 1991.
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| United States Customs Service | The Commissioner of Customs should report the lack of internal controls over pre-numbered collection documents as a material weakness under the Federal Managers' Financial Integrity Act, and report the status of corrective actions taken. |
Customs has removed the Federal Managers' Financial Integrity Act deficiency.
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| United States Customs Service | The Commissioner of Customs should direct that an analysis be made of the collection process with a view toward the possible use of modern information technology to eliminate the use of such documents, when feasible. The analysis should include a thorough risk assessment to determine the vulnerabilities of any such technology and the establishment of appropriate internal controls to mitigate the vulnerabilities. |
A feasibility review was done in April 1991 on hand-held devices to automate the collection process at locations with no cash registers.
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