VZCZCXRO7124
RR RUEHGI RUEHTRO
DE RUEHNJ #0140 1130741
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 230741Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6874
INFO RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 0603
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 1753
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0538
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1807
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 2366
RUEHGI/AMEMBASSY BANGUI 1570
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE

UNCLAS NDJAMENA 000140 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/C AND AF/USSES 
NSC FOR GAVIN AND HUDSON 
LONDON FOR POL -- LORD 
PARIS FOR POL -- D'ELIA AND KANEDA 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR AU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV ECON EPET EFIN IMF IBRD CBD EAID PREL CD
SUBJECT: GOC OFFERS ITS OWN VERSION OF BUDGET REVISION 
 
REF: NDJAMENA 135 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1. (SBU) Finance Minister Gata Ngoulou outlined April 21 for 
Ambassador the GOC's plan to address the budget revenue 
shortfall precipitated by the drop in the price of oil, a 
resource that accounts for 75 percent of the GOC's budget. 
The GOC will fill the USD 80 million gap between 2009 
receipts and revenues with a sum withdrawn from the regional 
central bank.  Ngoulou asked for U.S. support with the IFIs 
in pursuing the GOC's vision of a revised 2009 budget.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
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GOC WANTS TO REVISE ITS WAY 
--------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Finance Minister Gata Ngoulou outlined April 21 for 
Ambassador the GOC's plan to address the budget revenue 
shortfall precipitated by the drop in the price of oil, a 
resource that accounts for 75 percent of the GOC's budget. 
The meeting request by the Finance Minister came just days 
after the IMF said that it was not able to persuade the GOC 
to revise its budget and hours before Ngoulou departed for 
the April 25-26 IFI meetings in Washington. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Ngoulou explained that the GOC had budgeted CFA 220 
billion (USD 440 million) for investment in the 2009 budget. 
He said that the IMF wanted them to halve those expenditures 
to CFA 110 billion (USD 220 million).  The GOC 
counter-proposed CFA 180 billion (USD 360 million).  The GOC 
would approach the regional central bank, BEAC, to cover the 
CFA 40 billion (USD 80 million) different, according to 
Ngoulou.  The FINMIN continued the GOC's mantra, heard on 
many fronts, that the government could not reduce investment 
spending and cut projects already in the pipeline.  He said 
that Chad was not like other countries with alterative 
options for resources and investments. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Ngoulou asked for U.S. support with the IFIs in 
pursuing the GOC's vision of a revised 2009 budget. 
 
¶5. (U) Minimize considered. 
NIGRO