Headlines in the Midlands
Charge Card Spending by State Government Now Online
COLUMBIA, SC - May 26, 2010 - Charge card spending by state government - including colleges and universities - for the month of April is now available on the Web - http://www.cg.sc.gov/agencytransparency/Monthly+Charge+Card+Usage.htm
As you may recall, last month I announced I'd taken the initiative to begin posting state government's charge card spending on the Web, and I posted monthly activity for February and March. This is part of our continual efforts to enhance our evolving State Government Transparency program.
Posting charge card spending on the Web is important for several reasons: First, taxpayers deserve easy, no cost access to details about how their money is spent regardless of whether payments are made by writing checks or using charge cards.
Secondly, posting this information on the Web is an important control against fraud and wasteful spending. Last month, more than $15 million was spent on thousands of public charge cards. I probably don't have to tell you that such spending without adequate oversight or transparency lends itself to ample opportunity for waste or fraud.
Allowing thousands of eyes to view these spending details, rather than only a few, is an important safeguard against improper spending.
Richard Eckstrom
S.C. Comptroller
Office of the Comptroller
3rd Floor, Wade Hampton Building
1200 Senate Street,
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 734-2588
