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NSIAD-84-126 1 (1984-06-22)

handle is hein.gao/gaobabnkf0001 and id is 1 raw text is: UNITED STATES GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE WASHINGTON, D.C. 20548 NATIONAL SICURrT AND INTERNATIONAL APFARS WVISION B-197854 JUNE 22, 1984 The Honorable Lowell Weicker, Jr. Chairman, Committee on Small Business United States Senate 124494 Dear Mr. Chairman: Subject: The Role of the U.S. Tea Examiner Office in Procurement of Tea by the Department of Defense (GAO/NSIAD-84-126) In response to your request and subsequent discussions with your office on May 18, 1983, we have reviewed the overall func- tions of the U.S. Tea Examiner Office, with emphasis on determin- ing if the procedures and practices used to test teas obtained under Department of Defense contracts are viable, cost effective, and equitable. Your request letter discussed the problems experi- enced by a government contractor, Embassy House, Inc., a small business tea importing company, and its allegations that the Tea Examiner Office discriminates against small firms in favor of large companies. Procedures and practices used to test teas procured under Department of Defense contracts have been in effect for more than 30 years. Very nominal amounts are spent for such tests and we found no evidence that the test procedure favored any particular size or kind of tea firms in competition for Defense contracts. However, we believe the credibirity of acceptance testing could be enhanced through such actions as: --implementation of a postaward testing process that utilizes blind tests and a panel similar to the preaward testing process, and/or --use of an ad hoc panel of tea experts in the appeals process to test teas that experience difficulties passing postaward acceptance tests. INSPECTING TEAS PRIOR TO IMPORTATION Prior to 1897, tea of an inferior quality was being imported into the United States. To end that situation, the Congress (942217) 0Q}42Ia L

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