Test administrator ETS settles US billing charges

Educational Testing Service, alarge U.S. administrator Rosetta Stone Software of standardized tests, has paid $1.4million to settle allegations it overbilled the U.S. Departmentof Education on contracts, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman in NewJersey said on Wednesday. The government said ETS in 1999 stopped funding a retireemedical trust, but nonetheless continued to bill the EducationDepartment for the costs of medical benefits being paid to thePrinceton, New Jersey-based nonprofit's retired workers. ETS provides assessment and research-related services tothe Education Department under government contracts, and thebilling violated rules governing those contracts, thegovernment said. Fishman's office said ETS had in 2007 disclosed theimproper charges, and reimbursed nearly $3.2 million coveringovercharges and interest. The $1.4 million is in addition tothis sum. "It is our job to protect taxpayers from contractors whocharge more than they should," and cooperation helps "ensurethe American people get a fair deal," Fishman said in astatement. ETS cooperated with the probe, and did not admit liabilityin agreeing to the additional payment, settlement papers show. In a statement, ETS said it had "mistakenly billed" thegovernment for the cost of medical benefits. "Today's agreementresolves matters to everyone's satisfaction," it said. According to its website Rosetta Stone languages, ETS develops, administers andscores more than 50 million tests a year, including theGraduate Record Examination (GRE), the Test of English as aForeign Language (TOEFL) and the Preliminary SAT/National MeritScholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). As jet fuel burned around them, both militants and the military were looking for a didn't want to launch a full-scale assault because they feared further damaging aircraft and infrastructure. Fires had already claimed hangars and damaged other aircraft."If we had tried to kill them quickly they might have blown themselves up near our assets and caused more damage. We did finally manage to push them away from our assets," said an intelligence official.The militants' plan was direct: Kill, and be killed.Pakistan officials say the main operation to retake the base was over by 9.30 a.m., followed by a search and clear operation lasting until the afternoon. There was scattered gunfire and occasional explosions throughout the day."Clearly there was a (security) breach," said another security official. "In my personal view there had to be some help from the inside - to brief the militants about the area, and location.""Our forces should have done better. But at the end of the day, if there are suicide bombers who have already decided to die, I don't think you can stop them, Rosetta Stone Spanish V3 " said Shabbir Hussain, a car dealer who lives behind the base.The civilian government has called a defense committee meeting for Wednesday, two days after the assault, showing a surprising lack of urgency. The military has remained silent. But Pakistanis are more anxious than ever."Our military ... has the best and most sophisticated weapons to counter its 'enemies'," wrote the English-language Daily Times. "But the terrorists have the will and patience to fight them out."

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