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