US embassy cable - 04DJIBOUTI1220

UNCLAS DJIBOUTI 001220 
 
SIPDIS 
 
IG FOR TIM WILDY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASIG, AMGT 
SUBJECT: INSPECTION OF PARIS FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND 
TRAINING OFFICE (FSTO) 
 
REF: A)STATE 200361, B)STATE 146373 
 
1. FOLLOWING RESPONSES KEYED TO QUESTIONS PER REF (A): 
 
--QUESTION 1.A.  QUALITY OF EFFECTIVENESS AND 
TIMELINESS OF FSTO SUPPORT AND TRAINING RATED BY POST 
AS "OUTSTANDING" BASED ON ITS EXPERIENCE WITH FSTO 
QUICK AND COURTEOUS RESPONSES TO A GREAT VARIETY OF 
FINANCIAL QUESTIONS RAISED BY POST AND ANSWERED BY 
PARIS OVER THE PAST YEAR, AND PREVIOUS. 
 
--QUESTION 1.B. WHILE POST DID NOT AVAIL ITSELF OF 
TRAINING PROGRAMS LAST YEAR, POST RATES THE TRAINING 
RECEIVED IN PRIOR YEARS AS "OUTSTANDING", AND THE 
REASON FOR THE SMOOTH OPERATIONS IN DJIBOUTI'S B&F 
SECTION, ESPECIALLY IN VOUCHER PROCESSING, FOR WHICH 
POST HAS RECEIVED POSITIVE COMMENT FROM FSC/CHARLESTON. 
 
--QUESTION 1.C. FOR POST'S IN AFRICA, MANY BUDGET 
SECTIONS/FMO'S WOULD APPRECIATE A FORMAL "CALL-IN" HELP 
LINE IN PARIS TO BE ABLE TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL 
WHEN IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE. PARIS BEING ROUGHLY IN THE 
SAME TIME ZONE. 
 
2. POST APPRECIATES OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE POSITIVE 
SUPPORT FOR FSTO/PARIS. 
 
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