US embassy cable - 02COLOMBO2171

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 002171 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR ECA/PE/V/P-ISABELLE ZSOLDOS/DEBORAH 
THOMPSON, ECA/PE/V/G/N-ALICE SHIFFLETT, SA/PD 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC, SCUL, KPAO, OEXC - Exchanges 
SUBJECT: FY-2003 INTERNATIONAL VISITOR PROGRAM: SRI 
LANKAN NOMINATION FOR MRP ON PRIVATIZATION AND THE 
U.S. ECONOMY: JULY 17-AUGUST 7, 2003 
PROJECT NO. E/VP-2003-0034 
 
REF: (A) STATE 50054, (B) STATE 32608, (C) COLOMBO 
 
129180 
 
1. POST NOMINATES MS. ROSE COORAY, DIRECTOR- 
GENERAL, FISCAL POLICY AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, 
MINISTRY OF FINANCE, FOR PARTICIPATION IN SUBJECT 
PROJECT. 
 
2. PART I OF NOMINEE'S BIO DATA FOLLOWS: 
EXPORT-SOURCE: USIS EVDB 
VERSION: 3.0.0 
POST-EMAIL: rscmb@pd.state.gov 
TRANSMITTING-POST: PAS  Colombo 
TRANSMITTING-POST-ID: 2929 
EXPORT-TYPE: BIO DATA 
START NOMINATION: 
USIA-OFFICE: E/VGN 
PROG-AGENCY-NAME: 
POST-PROJ-ID: 73 
USIA-PROJ-NO: E/VP-2003-0034 
PROJ-NAME: Privatization and the U.S. Economy - July 
17 - August 7, 2003 
START MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
 
END MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
PROJ-TYPE: Multi-Regional 
PROG-TYPE: IV Grant Visitor 
FY: 2003 
DEPART-POST: 07/15/2003 
SESSION-DATE: 07/17/2003 
RETURN-POST: 08/10/2003 
NO-OF-PART: 1 
RANK-ORDER: 15 
START MEMO POST-OBJ: 
MPP Goal: To support Economic Reforms of the 
Government of Sri Lanka 
END MEMO POST-OBJ: 
START MEMO POST-RCMD: 
 
END MEMO POST-RCMD: 
USIA-OFFICE-ID: 1039 
PROG-AGENCY-ID: 
PROJ-TYPE-ID: MRP 
PROG-TYPE-ID: 29 
NOMINATING-POST-ID: 2929 
FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 
STATUS: N 
ORIGINATOR: P 
SUBJ-DISC: Privatization 
START BIO: 
PREFIX: Ms. 
F-NAME: M.A.R.C 
M-NAME: Rose 
L-NAME: COORAY 
SUFFIX: 
PRINCIPAL?: Yes 
M-ADDR1: Fiscal Policy and Economic Affairs 
M-ADDR2: Ministry of Finance 
M-ADDR3: 
M-CITY: Colombo 3 
M-STATE: 
M-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
M-ZONE: 
M-ZIP: 
M-PHONE: (94-1) 484-648 
M-FAX: 
M-EMAIL: 
M-CNTRY-ID: CE 
M-ADDRTYPE: B 
GENDER: F 
DOB: 03/23/1949 
MAR-STAT: M 
BIRTH-CITY: Colombo 
BIRTH-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
CITIZ-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
RES-CNTRY: Sri Lanka 
START MEMO POSITION: 
Director General, Fiscal Policy and Economic 
Affairs, 1998- to date 
END MEMO POSITION: 
START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
Serves as Director representing Government of Sri 
Lanka on DFCC Bank, Sri Lanka Institute of 
Information Technology, Thomas De La Rue, and 
Private Sector Infrastructure Development Co. 
Member of the Tariff Advisory Council 
END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
Assistant to the Governor of the Central Bank - 2001 
(on part time) 
Served in various positions at the Central Bank, 
since 1973 (including Director of Information) 
 
END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
Has been to Washington, D.C. several times as a 
member of the Sri Lanka delegation at IMF/World Bank 
talks 
END MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
 
END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO EDUCATION: 
BA in Economics, University of Peradeniya 
M.Sc. from Strathclyde University, U.K. 
END MEMO EDUCATION: 
START MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
 
END MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
START MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
 
END MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
START MEMO SPEC-CONSID: 
 
END MEMO SPEC-CONSID: 
FIRST-LANG: Sinhala 
ENGL-READ: 4 
ENGL-SPEAK: 4 
ENGL-COMP: 4 
START MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: 
MPP Goal: To support Economic Reforms of the 
Government of Sri Lanka 
END MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: 
START MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: 
 
END MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: 
START MEMO VIS-OBJ: 
 
END MEMO VIS-OBJ: 
START MEMO VIS-REC: 
 
END MEMO VIS-REC: 
NOMINATING-OFFICER: Teresa Manlowe 
START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
Ms. Cooray is an influential player in the Finance 
Ministry, responsible for Fiscal Policy and Economic 
Policy formulation and implementation.  She has been 
with the Central Bank for over 25 years holding 
various positions.  Currently she is one of the most 
senior officers of the Central Ban k on release to 
the Finance Ministry.  As Director General Fiscal 
Policy and Economic Affairs of the Finance Ministry, 
she will be responsible for formulating and 
implementing the proposed Fiscal Responsibility Act 
(FRA) which will be one of the important pieces of 
legislation of the current UNF government.  The FRA 
will govern overall public finance of Sri Lanka with 
the aim of keeping the budget deficit within 
targets.  Along with this act Parliamentary Powers 
will be increased to examine government activities 
and prevent wastage of public funds.  This exercise 
has the support of the IMF. Therefore, the program 
on Privatization and the U.S. Economy will be very 
useful and relevant to Mrs. Cooray and the GSL. 
Mrs. Cooray is an important player in the Finance 
Ministry and one of our key contacts there.  She is 
in her early 50s but has several more working years 
ahead of her.  She has the potential and recognition 
to assume even more responsible positions at the 
Central Bank or the Ministry of Finance.  Her 
participation in this program will help strengthen 
our ties. 
 
END MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
NOM-OFF: Econ/Commercial Section 
SPEAKER?: No 
NOTIFY-EMB: No 
MEDIA?: No 
HOME-STAY: Yes 
HOME-HOSP?: Yes 
E-I-TYPE: 
NOMINEE-ID: 105 
PERSON-ID: 109 
BIRTH-CNTRY-ID: CE 
CITIZ-CNTRY-ID: CE 
RES-CNTRY-ID: CE 
FIRST-LANG-ID: SI 
E-I-TYPE-ID: 
NOM-POST-ID: 2929 
NOM-FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 
NOM-STATUS: N 
END BIO: 
END NOMINATION: 
 
3. PLEASE ADVISE ACCEPTANCE OF THIS NOMINATION. 
WILLS