Failed Afghan Army Vehicle Maintenance Program to Cost US Taxpayers $1Bln

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Poor oversight by the US Department of Defense (DOD) of an Afghan military vehicle maintenance program will force American taxpayers to pay for a new $1 billion contract, the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said in an audit report released on Thursday.

"DOD’s inaction to correct contractor deficiencies and seek repayment of funds, has resulted… in the need for a new [Afghan army vehicle] maintenance contract that is projected to cost more than $1 billion over the next 5 years," the report stated.

The US-funded project, the report noted, failed to meet the requirements of the original $423 million contract to provide the Afghan military the capacity to maintain its own fleet of vehicles.

"The shortcomings of DOD’s oversight of contractor performance were so significant in the case of this contract that, if not addressed in connection with future maintenance contracts, they could undermine any further efforts to develop the Afghan military’s fleet maintenance and supply chain management capabilities," the report concluded.

According to a SIGAR report in April, after 15 years, thousands of lives lost and $113 billion in US reconstruction funding, prospects for Afghan security remained troubling while the Taliban threat is on the rise.