§ 108. Interim financing
(a)
Prime contractors
It is the policy of the Government, and it shall be the responsibility of the contracting agencies and the Administrator of General Services, in accordance with and subject to the provisions of this chapter, to provide war contractors having any termination claim or claims, pending their settlement, with adequate interim financing, within thirty days after proper application therefor.
(b)
Method of financing; amounts payable
Each contracting agency shall, to the greatest extent it deems practicable, make available interim financing through loans and discounts, and commitments and guaranties in connection therewith, in contemplation of or related to termination of war contracts. Where interim financing is made by advance payments or partial payments, it shall, insofar as practicable, consist of the following:
(1)
An amount equal to 100 per centum of the amount payable, at the contract price, on account of acceptable items completed prior to the termination date under the terms of the contract, or completed thereafter with the approval of the contracting agency; plus
(2)
An amount equal to 90 per centum of the cost of raw materials, purchased parts, supplies, direct labor, and manufacturing overhead allocable to the terminated portion of the war contract; plus
(3)
A reasonable percentage of other allowable costs, including administrative overhead, allocable to the terminated portion of the war contract not included in the foregoing; plus
(4)
Such additional amounts, if any, as the contracting agency deems necessary to provide the war contractor with adequate interim financing.
(5)
In lieu of the costs referred to in clauses (2) and (3) of this subsection, where a detailed ascertainment of such costs is not suitable to the conditions of any war contractor and is apt to cause delay in the obtaining of interim financing by him, that portion of such interim financing shall be equal to an amount not greater than 90 per centum of the estimated costs which are allocable to the terminated part or parts of the war contract or group of war contracts, and are ascertained in accordance with such methods and standards as the Administrator of General Services shall prescribe.
(c)
Evidence to support financing
The Administrator of General Services shall prescribe
(1)
the types of estimates, certificates, or other evidence to be required to support such interim financing;
(2)
the terms and conditions upon which such interim financing shall be made including the use of standard forms for agreements with respect to such interim financing to the extent practicable;
(4)
such methods of supervision and control over such interim financing as he deems necessary or desirable to assure adequate and speedy interim financing to subcontractors of the war contractor.
(d)
Penalty for overstatement of claims
In case of an overstatement by any war contractor of the amount due on his termination claim or claims in connection with any interim financing under this chapter, such contractor shall pay to the United States, as a penalty, an amount equal to 6 per centum of the amount of the overstatement, but the Administrator of General Services may suspend or modify any such penalty if in his opinion the imposition thereof would be inequitable. Any penalty may be deducted from any amounts due the war contractor upon such termination claim or claims, or otherwise, or may be collected from the war contractor by suit. The obligation to pay any penalty imposed and to repay any interim financing made or assumed by the United States under this chapter shall constitute a debt due to the United States within the meaning of section
3713
(a) of title
31.
(e)
Advance payments as part of termination settlement
Any contracting agency may allow any advance payments, previously made or authorized by it in connection with the performance of a war contract, to be used for payments and expenses related to the termination settlement of such contract, upon such terms and conditions as it deems necessary or appropriate to protect the interest of the Government.
(f)
Liquidation of loans, etc., prior to final settlement
No interim financing shall be made by any contracting agency under this chapter unless the terms of such financing provide for the liquidation by the war contractor of all loans, discounts, advance payments, or partial payments thereunder not later than the time of final payment of the amount due on the settlement of the termination claim or claims of the war contractor involved or such time thereafter as the contracting agency deems necessary for the liquidation of such interim financing in an orderly manner.
(g)
Settlement of claims; validation of prior financing
Any contracting agency may settle, upon such terms and conditions as it deems proper, any claim or obligation due by or to the Government arising from or related to any interim financing made, acquired, or authorized by it. Any interim financing made, acquired, or authorized by any contracting agency before July 21, 1944, shall be valid to the extent it would be authorized under the provisions of this chapter if made after its effective date.