RESPONSIBILITY FOR PAYMENT The responsibility for the payment of PVs rests with both the preparing and paying officers. The specific duties of each are described in the following sections. PREPARING  OFFICER’S RESPONSIBILITIES In  general,  the  preparing  officer  is  responsible  for the  following  actions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Promptly   submitting   PVs   and   supporting documents to the paying officer to allow for timely  payment  to  the  vendor. Initiating follow-up action to obtain missing supporting   documents. Assisting   the   Defense   Accounting   Office (DAO)  or  Financial  Information  Processing Center (FIPC) in obtaining information from vendors. Ensuring  the  proper  security  for  classified contracts and dealers’ bills. Preventing  duplicate  payments. Meeting  specific  requirements  for  each  type  of PV  submitted  for  payment. Let’s take a closer look at the preparing officer’s responsibilities. Promptly Submitting PVs and Supporting Documents to Paying Officer for Timely Payment Promptly  submitting  PVs  and  their  supporting documents to the paying officer for timely payment is important  for  two  reasons.  First,  the  government should take advantage of any acceptable discounts offered  by  the  vendor  in  exchange  for  the  prompt payment  of  bills  by  paying  the  bills  within  the designated   discount   period.   Second,   the   Prompt Payment Act of 1982 (Public Law 97-177) requires a federal agency to make interest payments whenever that agency fails to make payments on time. Vendors  who  make  frequent  deliveries  or  submit several bills during the month should be paid on a monthly basis. In cases of ships leaving United States ports, the supply officer should try to have all dealers’ bills properly certified and forwarded to the nearest DAO or FIPC for payment before the ship leaves port. In cases of ships leaving foreign ports, the supply officer should make every effort to prepare and have the DO pay all PVs covering dealers’ bills for materials, ship’s store stock, and services from foreign vendors before the ship leaves the foreign port. If this is not possible before the ship leaves the foreign port, the supply officer should make arrangements with the local shore activity, naval attaché, naval observer, or consular officer for payment of the bills. The supply officer will provide those offices with at least three copies of the purchase orders  certified  as  to  receipt  and  inspection  of  the supplies  purchased  or  services  provided.  You  can  find additional information on these cases by referring to the Afloat Supply Procedures,  NAVSUP P-485, and the Ship’s Store Afloat, NAVSUP P-487. Initiating Follow-Up Action to Obtain Missing Supporting  Documents Sometimes, an activity will receive materials or services, but will not receive the associated dealer’s invoice. This  happens  even  when  the  purchase authority has indicated the dealer’s invoice must be submitted to the receiving activity. In these cases, the receiving  activity’s  supply  officer  should  originate  an inquiry  1  month  after  receipt  of  the  materials  or services. Assisting the DAO or FIPC in Obtaining Information from Vendors Sometimes, a DAO or FIPC must return an invoice to a vendor for correction. Usually, this happens when the activity responsible for preparing the PV detects an error in the invoice before the bill is paid and refers the situation  to  the  servicing  DAO  or  FIPC.  If  the  dealer does not resubmit the corrected invoice for payment within 1 month, the DAO or FIPC will send a tracer letter to the dealer with a copy to the receiving activity that prepared the PV. The preparing officer can assist the DAO or FIPC by contacting and working with the dealer to facilitate the resubmission and processing of the  invoice. Ensuring the Proper Security for Classified Contracts and Dealers’ Bills The original and all copies of a PV must not contain information that requires a security classification. They should contain only the name and address of the payee, the contract number, the amount and the date of the payment,  the  invoice  reference  number,  the  complete accounting  data,  the  check  number,  and  the  disbursing office  payment  data. 6-2