CORRECTED COPY: EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATION: 2009 EMBASSY

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000427 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR A/OPR/CR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AMGT SUBJECT: CORRECTED COPY: EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATION: 2009 EMBASSY DAMASCUS COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION REF: STATE 37649 ¶1. As Chief of Mission of the United States Embassy in Damascus, I have taken the necessary measures to ensure that our employee association is managed prudently and is in full compliance with its charter and bylaws, 6 FAM 500 regulations, applicable to U.S. law, and all legal requirements of the Government of Syria. I also assure you that an adequate system of internal controls is in place to protect the assets of the association and the interests of the U.S. government. The Post Profile has been updated to reflect the election of a new AEEA board. Finally, I certify that Post does not procure services from the association or does so only with an approved waiver from the Office of the Procurement Executive (FAR 3.601). ¶2. The previous AEEA board requested an extension on submitting an independent audit on May 25. According to AEEA e-mail records, the stated reason for the delay was that the auditor (Deloitte and Touche) had been working on other Embassy issues. The aforementioned audit, along with the auditor's statement of its compliance with US GAAP, is nearly completed and should be forthcoming before the end of June, ¶2009. AEEA will also submit the board's statement of the auditor's independence to A/OPR/CR after the auditor completes final draft. ¶3. The 2009 AEEA board has learned that 2008 association financial documents were not properly submitted. This has been brought to the attention of the new Treasurer, who will generate those statements and submit them to the appropriate authorities this month. ¶4. AEEA is currently in the process of obtaining a written agreement with the Chief of Mission in order to clarify the handling of utility costs for the AEEA-administered commissary. It is anticipated there will be nominal or no charges assessed for the prior and current calendar years. ¶5. Regarding paras 2-4, AEEA will seek greater compliance on deadlines for document submission by developing a schedule of due dates and tasking appropriate officers. The Chief of Mission's AEEA designee has taken a lead in compliance oversight. ¶6. As previously reported, post continues to dispute an erroneous transportation charge from 2003 in the amount of USD 65,000. This disputed amount has been duly noted in each audit report. ¶7. This certification was signed on June 21, 2009, by Charge d'Affaires Maura Connelly. CONNELLY