FEMA'S Credit Card Management Rated High Among Federal Agencies 

Release Date: August 15, 2001
Release Number: HQ-01-082

Washington, DC -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has the second lowest delinquency rate for employee-held credit cards among federal agencies, with only one percent of accounts counted more than 61 days overdue, according to a June 30 analysis of participants in the General Services Administration's (GSA) "SmartPay" credit card program.

Only the National Science Foundation, with a zero percent delinquency rate, ranked above FEMA. The average delinquency rate for credit card accounts at federal agencies is 3.75 percent, according to the GSA analysis.

"FEMA employees have demonstrated once again that they are responsible stewards of taxpayers' money," FEMA Director Joe M. Allbaugh said. "I am doubly proud of this track record because of the travel demands we place on our employees in our effort to respond quickly and adequately to disasters, no matter where they occur."

FEMA employs about 8,700 people across the United States. Almost half of the FEMA workforce is made up of disaster assistance employees - 4,237 temporary workers who are called in to staff field offices in Presidentially declared disaster areas. The temporary workers provide all levels of assistance available from FEMA, from response and recovery at disaster areas, to registration for public and individual benefits, as well as community relations and congressional assistance.

Because of the travel demands, disaster assistance employees are among the FEMA employees who hold 5,753 credit card accounts for travel. FEMA employees also hold 563 credit card accounts for purchases other than travel and another 476 credit accounts for vehicle fleets. All together, FEMA employees hold about 6,800 credit card accounts - far less than one per employee.

FEMA has been recognized by GSA, Congress and Citibank - the issuer of credit cards used by FEMA employees - for its successful management of employee-held credit cards. Specifically, GSA has published FEMA's credit card policies as models for other federal agencies. The House Subcommittee on Government Efficiency, Financial Management and Intergovernmental Relations solicited testimony from FEMA officials last May 1 on managing government credit cards. And earlier this summer, a Citibank newsletter for government account holders cited FEMA's successes in reducing credit card delinquencies.

Last Modified: Wednesday, 01-Oct-2003 13:21:59