Cablegate: Angola Renews Request for U.S. Treasury Technical

VZCZCXRO6071
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHLU #0386 1371044
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 161044Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY LUANDA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4795
INFO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS LUANDA 000386

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIN EAID ECON PREL AO
SUBJECT: ANGOLA RENEWS REQUEST FOR U.S. TREASURY TECHNICAL
ADVISOR

REF: A) LUANDA 300 B) LUANDA 249 C) LUANDA 231 D)
LUANDA 137

1. Key leaders of Angola's economic team, including the
Minister of Finance, the Minister of Industry, the National
Treasury Director, and the Governor and Vice Governor of the
Central Bank have each recently made direct appeals to the
Ambassador for the placement of a U.S. Department of the
Treasury Office of Technical Assistance (OTA) Resident
Advisor within Angola's Ministry of Finance.

2. In 2007, Angola accepted the U.S. offer to place an OTA
advisor with the Central Bank under an arrangement that
included GRA support for housing and transportation and USAID
funding for the initial months, including other expenses for
the Resident Advisor. Unfortunately, the Resident Advisor
was not placed.

3. We support Angola's renewed request for the immediate
placement of at least one OTA Resident Advisor in Luanda.
Angola is clearly demonstrating a steady commitment to
improving its fiscal accounting systems and the transparency
of its budget process. We find the Ministry of Finance and
the Central Bank are among the most accessible GRA
institutions the Mission, and the Ambassador and Embassy
staff has met with the Minister of Finance, his Vice
Ministers as well as the Central Bank chief and deputy on
several occasions in 2008. Without exception, the issue of
the placement of an OTA Resident Advisor was raised during
the course of each meeting.

4. There is still much work to be done in Angola - but the
Angolans recognize this and understand their own limitations
in dealing with the difficult issues that remain. The
placement of at least one OTA Resident Advisor would allow us
to most effectively respond to their request for assistance
in an area of strategic importance to our bilateral economic
relationship.

5. We strongly urge interested USG agencies to support
Angola's request.
FERNANDEZ

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