Fiscal Year 1988 Budget Estimates for the General Accounting Office

Testimony was given on the GAO budget request of $379.5 million for fiscal year (FY) 1988 to fund 5,200 average positions, which was a $67.1 million increase on the FY 1987 requirement. Forty-seven percent of the budget increase represented mandatory pay and related costs associated with existing levels of service. GAO provided a breakdown of its requested increase in staff positions which included: (1) 40 positions in defense areas to respond to increasing congressional concerns about the defense budget; (2) 25 to respond to increasing congressional inquiries on highly complex automated data processing, telecommunications, and information resources management issues; (3) 25 to expand the number of agency financial audits and to promote the development and maintenance of accounting and internal control systems that produce complete, reliable, and timely information on operations results for use by agency and congressional decisionmakers; and (4) 10 to respond to strong congressional interest about the soundness of the financial services industry and about the insurance industry's alleged profitability crisis and its emerging role as a major financial intermediary competing with banks and securities firms to provide financial services. GAO also needs funding to implement a new 5-year information resources management plan, telecommunications initiatives, and facilities restoration following asbestos removal. GAO is analyzing the software, hardware, and services available at a variety of sites for administrative processing, and it is currently investigating the possibility of entering into an interagency agreement with the Department of Agriculture's National Finance Center for the use of combined personnel, payroll, and time and attendance systems and for hosting additional GAO systems or for joint development of related administrative systems.