Currency Paper Procurement: Additional Analysis Would Help Determine Whether a Second Supplier Is Needed;Report to the Congress

摘要

For over 125 years, the U.S. government has relied on one contractor to supply virtually all of the paper for U.S. currency. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), which is responsible for printing U.S. currency, is currently under a 4-year contract with this supplier and, according to BEP data, is paying about $115 million a year for currency paper. Although BEP has historically received a steady, timely supply of paper that meets its requirements from its current supplier, having one supplier for currency paper raises a number of concerns. Among these concerns are (1) the lack of competition for the currency paper contract, (2) the fairness and reasonableness of price, and (3) the adequacy of the currency paper supply in the event of an attack or other disruption of the currency supply.