U.S. military blew $43 million on “world’s most expensive gas station” in Afghanistan

[uawchild]

"The gas station should have cost $300,000, but the DoD spent 143 times that — and doesn't know where the money went"
by BEN NORTON


(Credit: pio3 via Shutterstock/Salon)

The Department of Defense blew millions of tax dollars on a gas station — a very, very expensive gas station.

A compressed natural gas automobile filling station in South Asia typically costs between $200,000 and $500,000 to build. The U.S. Task Force for Business and Stability Operations (TFBSO), however, spent more than $43 million constructing one in Sheberghan, Afghanistan.

In a new report, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) called the project “an exorbitant cost to U.S. taxpayers.” “Even considering security costs associated with construction and operation in Afghanistan, this level of expenditure appears gratuitous and extreme,” added SIGAR, which noted that its investigation “was hindered by DOD’s lack of cooperation.”

Special Inspector General John Sopko said it is “likely the world’s most expensive gas station.”

The U.S. government said the goal of building the gas station was “to take advantage of Afghanistan’s domestic natural gas reserves.” Afghanistan has enormous gas deposits. Fossil fuel corporations like Exxon have been keen to get access to these resources, while the country remains under U.S. military occupation.

The original $3 million contract to build the gas station was granted to a little-known construction company called Central Asian Engineering. The corporation’s office did not respond to Salon’s request for comment.

How exactly this original $3 million contract exploded into $43 million is unclear. The military doesn’t even know. “One of the most troubling aspects of this project is that the Department of Defense claims that it is unable to provide an explanation for the high cost of the project or to answer any other questions concerning its planning, implementation, or outcome” SIGAR indicated.

http://www.salon.com/2015/11/02/u_s_military_blew_43_million_on_worlds_most_expensive_gas_station_in_afghanistan/

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"How exactly this original $3 million contract exploded into $43 million is unclear."

LOL, oh really? We all know how this works... that money went off books to pay bribes, fund "moderates, and to upkeep the Afghanistan governments overall level of corruption -- I bet half of it is already stashed away in the Afghan officials' offshore accounts. It would be amusing if our infrastructure, bridges and roads weren't falling into decay here at home for lack of adequate funding.

[shraby]

1. When those kinds of waste projects are discovered, their budget should

be cut by a like amount. Apparently they don't need that money.

[Octafish]

2. Second most expensive.

Carlos Marcello bought one for David Ferrie in '63. Priceless for them. Cost us a good chunk of democracy.

[kelliekat44]

3. US Governmant blows billions by pay over priced, fraudulent contractors in the holy private sector.

So many jobs that were government jobs by government workers have been "contracted out" to the private sector...you know the guys who complain about government waste. Actually the waste is mostly paying money to the private sector for inferior goods and services. Why don't most people understand this? And as the GOP keeps pushing to cut government hiring and other spending the waste, fraud, and abuse will only get worse.

Most people who actually are government employees tend to mind the governments business closely...except for those who are political appointees.