As provided by the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977, the Panama Canal Commission will terminate on December 31, 1999, when the Republic of Panama will assume full responsibility for the management, operation, and maintenance of the Panama Canal. The Treaty provides that the Canal be turned over in operating condition and free of liens and debts, except as the two parties may otherwise agree. As discussed in note 9 to the financial statements, as of September 30, 1995, the Commission forecasts that the present $90.7 million in unfunded liabilities should be covered by tolls over the remaining life of the Treaty. We did not examine the Commission’s forecast and express no opinion on it. The ability to cover these future costs, including administrative costs, is dependent upon (1) obtaining the budgeted levels of Canal operations and (2) future economic events. The Commission operates as a rate-regulated utility. In fiscal year 1995 approximately 74 percent of its operating revenues were obtained from tolls and the remaining 26 percent, from nontoll revenues, such as navigation services and electric power sales. Early retirement, compensation benefits for work injuries, and post-retirement medical care costs are being funded from Canal revenues on an accelerated basis in order to be fully funded by 1999. During the period of our audit, the President of the United States served as the rate regulator for tolls, which are established at a level to recover the costs of operating and maintaining the Canal. The following is taken from management’s analysis of the Commission’s financial statements. The analysis generally explains the changes in major financial statement line items from fiscal years 1994 to 1995. Our opinions on these financial statements do not extend to the analysis presented below, and, accordingly, we express no opinion on this analysis. While we do not express an opinion on the analysis, we found no material inconsistencies with the financial statements taken as a whole. The Commission’s operations ended fiscal year 1995 at breakeven, compared to the net operating revenue of $1.7 million for fiscal year 1994. The net operating revenue for 1994 was applied to the $0.6 million outstanding balance of unrecovered costs from fiscal year 1992 operations and the $1.1 million balance left was paid to the Republic of Panama on March 9, 1995. From fiscal years 1991 through 1995, toll and nontoll revenues increased an average of approximately 3.8 percent annually. Fiscal year 1995 total operating revenues increased to $586 million, up 6.9 percent from fiscal year 1994 due mainly to an increase in Canal traffic, principally larger vessels. Nontoll revenues, which consist primarily of navigation services and electric power sales, increased to $164 million during fiscal year 1995, up 12.6 percent from fiscal year 1994. The deduction from tolls revenue for working capital was increased from $5 million in fiscal year 1994 to $10 million in fiscal year 1995 in order to substantially complete the financing of the Commission’s storehouse and fuel inventories. The deduction from tolls revenue for contributions for capital expenditures increased from $11.5 million in fiscal year 1994 to $30.3 million in fiscal year 1995. The increase was attributable to the funding required for the increase in the Commission’s capital program in 1995 for the acquisition of the crane TITAN and to provide funding for anticipated additional capital expenditures for replacements and additions to the tug fleet, acceleration of the Gaillard Cut widening project and the purchase of additional towing locomotives. From fiscal years 1991 through 1995, total operating expenses increased an average of approximately 4.0 percent annually. Fiscal year 1995 total operating expenses increased to $586 million, up 7.3 percent over fiscal year 1994. The following were some of the highlights: Tonnage payments to the Republic of Panama increased $9.8 million or 13.9 percent in fiscal year 1995. The additional net tonnage transiting the Canal produced $7.6 million of the increase and a rate change from 36 cents to 37 cents per ton accounted for $2.2 million of the change. Navigation service and control costs increased $13.6 million or 14.8 percent due mainly to the cost of additional resources required to service the record traffic levels experienced in fiscal year 1995. The increase in locks operation costs of $10.4 million or 18.2 percent reflected the cost of additional crews required for the increased level of traffic, additional locks maintenance and repair projects, and increased costs for locks overhaul projects. Depreciation expense increased $5.7 million or 22.1 percent in fiscal year 1995 principally as the result of (1) an adjustment to the service life for certain assets, (2) the change in the capitalization limit from $1,500 to $5,000 for minor items acquired in fiscal year 1995, and (3) the depreciation for new additions to plant during the fiscal year. Partially offsetting these increases was a credit adjustment resulting from the amortization of capital contributions of assets acquired prior to fiscal year 1992. Interest expense on the interest-bearing investment of the United States decreased $3.2 million or 42.2 percent in fiscal year 1995 because of the larger average cash balances maintained by the Commission in its U.S. Treasury revolving fund account and lower interest rates. Other operating expenses increased $5.8 million or 18.8 percent primarily because of an increase in the provision for marine accident claims during the year related to accidents that occurred during fiscal year 1995. By the end of fiscal year 1995, total assets of the Commission increased by 3.3 percent to $851 million, and total liabilities and reserves decreased by 1.6 percent to $263 million. Capital increased by 5.6 percent to $588 million. The most significant changes in individual account balances by the end of fiscal year 1995 were the following: Property, plant, and equipment (excluding depreciation and valuation allowances) increased by a net $38 million to $1,141 million. This increase was due primarily to net capital expenditures of $38.7 million and the acquisition of several plant items from other U.S. government agencies. Major capital additions to plant from capital expenditures included $9.4 million for the Canal widening/straightening program; $8.0 million for the replacement and improvement of facilities and buildings; $6.6 million for the replacement and addition of floating equipment; $5.2 million for the replacement and addition of miscellaneous equipment; $4.0 million for improvements to electric power, communication, and water systems; $2.6 million for the replacement of motor vehicles; and $1.6 million for the replacement of launches and launch engines. Current assets increased by a net $54 million to $262 million due principally to an increase in cash. Cash increased by $46.8 million as a result of the net cash provided by operating activities exceeding the net cash used in investing activities. Deferred charges decreased by a net $26 million to $87 million. This was due principally to the amortization of deferred charges for early retirement, compensation benefits for work injuries, and post-retirement medical care costs. Liabilities and reserves decreased by a net $4.2 million to $263 million. The major reason for the net decrease included a decrease of $26.9 million for certain employee benefits, offset in part by increases in the liabilities for severance pay, accounts payable, employees’ leave, marine accident claims, and in the reserve for lock overhauls. Capital increased by a net $31 million to $588 million, principally because of a $21.4 million net increase in capital contributions for capital expenditures and a $10.0 million increase in contributions for working capital. The Panama Canal Act of 1979 requires us to include in our annual audit report to the Congress a statement listing (1) all direct and indirect costs incurred by the United States in implementing the 1977 Treaty, net of any savings, and (2) the cost of any property transferred to the Republic of Panama. The act also provides that direct appropriated costs of U.S. government agencies should not exceed $666 million, adjusted for inflation over the life of the Treaty. As of September 30, 1995, the inflation-adjusted target was $1,367 million. U.S. Government agencies that provided services to the former Panama Canal Company and Canal Zone Government provided the direct and indirect cost information including the cost of property transferred to the Republic of Panama as required under the 1977 Treaty. This information is presented in unaudited supplementary schedules to the Commission’s financial statements, and, accordingly, we express no opinion on these schedules. From fiscal years 1980 to 1995, the net reported costs to the U.S. Government under the Treaty amounted to $791 million, which is less than the act’s inflation-adjusted target. As required by the Panama Canal Act of 1979, we are sending copies of this report to the President of the United States and the Secretary of the Treasury. We are also sending copies to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget; the Secretaries of State, Defense, and the Army; the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Panama Canal Commission; and the Administrator of the Panama Canal Commission. Comptroller General of the United States United States General Accounting Office Washington, D.C. 20548 Comptroller General of the United States To the Board of Directors Panama Canal Commission Our audits of the Panama Canal Commission found the fiscal years 1995 and 1994 financial statements to be reliable in all material respects; although certain internal controls to help assure compliance with a statutory spending limitation should be improved, management fairly stated that internal controls in place on September 30, 1995, were effective in safeguarding assets from material loss, assuring material compliance with laws governing the use of budget authority and with other relevant laws and regulations, and assuring that there were no material misstatements in the financial statements; and reportable noncompliance with laws and regulations we tested for the fiscal year ended September 30, 1995.