Embassy New Delhi, India and Constituent Posts - OIG - US ...

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED
administrative supply and nonexpendable property management were on par with bureau and
worldwide averages for the embassy and all consulates general except Mumbai and Hyderabad
were low ranked for the quality of furniture, furnishings, and appliances.
A capable EFM employee, supported by 45 LE staff, directs the property management
operation at Embassy New Delhi. The embassy’s FY 2011 Property Management Report shows
a total inventory value for nonexpendable property of $23.79 million and a total inventory value
of $2.18 million in expendable property. Shortages and overages in both property categories fell
well below the threshold requiring further explanation.
The existing warehouse facilities on the embassy compound meet the safety, security, and
operational standards set forth in 14 FAM 413.7, but a new office building with warehouse space
is to be completed by 2012. Warehouse facilities in the consulates general were generally
adequate, although Hyderabad stored its nonexpendable property in an office building that
lacked shelving and other standard features of a warehouse. The Mumbai new consulate
compound includes a large and well-equipped warehouse. Consulate General Kolkata has made
great progress in weeding out its inventory, disposing of unserviceable and unneeded property,
and making best use of limited warehousing space on the consulate compound. A spot check of
expendable supplies yielded very positive results, as did a check of residential property
inventories, all of which the occupants had signed. The new general services officer expressed
her commitment to exercising more management controls measures in the area of property
management.
Customs and Shipping
With the continued expansion of mission staff and the scope of operations, the customs
and shipping units in the embassy and consulates general are processing more incoming and
outgoing shipments than ever before. Despite the increasing demands, customer evaluations of
the service reflect a high degree of satisfaction. The FY 2011 ICASS customer satisfaction
survey scores for the embassy and all four consulates general were equal to or greater than the
bureau and worldwide averages. OIG survey scores were also above average for the embassy and
all consulates general except Hyderabad.
Customs and shipping in Embassy New Delhi is under the direction of an assistant
general services officer who supervises an LE staff of 15. Three LE staff in Mumbai, five in
Chennai, and two in Kolkata handle all of the official and personal shipments transiting those
ports, including those destined for New Delhi and Hyderabad. There are no significant problems
with either the port facilities or the local bureaucracies, and thus there is minimal delay in
shipping and customs clearance for official and personal cargo. However, the Government of
India is becoming less flexible in enforcement of import regulations and procedures.
Furthermore, the Indian Government has recently enacted standards that essentially prevent U.S.
diplomats from importing American-made automobiles that are left-hand drive and do not meet
European emission standards.
Facilities Management
Construction of new consulate compounds is under way or planned in India. The new
consulate compound in Mumbai was scheduled originally to open in March 2008. As of the OIG
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SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED