GOJ REQUESTS EXPEDITED DISBURSEMENT OF BILATERAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 001932 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA AND NEA/ELA STATE PASS USAID E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/2019 TAGS: EAID PREL ECON PGOV EFIN JO SUBJECT: GOJ REQUESTS EXPEDITED DISBURSEMENT OF BILATERAL ASSISTANCE REF: AMMAN 1646 Classified By: Ambassador R. Stephen Beecroft for reasons 1.4 (b) and ( d) ¶1. (C) The Jordanian Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MOPIC) has requested that the cash transfer from USAID scheduled for the end of September be expedited to the beginning of the month to help the GOJ meet its August payroll. MOPIC officials have repeatedly contacted the USAID mission to ask that disbursement be expedited. The GOJ has not yet met the bilaterally negotiated 17 Conditions Precedents (CPs) necessary for the transfer, and it will be nearly impossible for it to do so by early September. Furthermore, receipt of the funding is dependent on the completion of the interagency terrorism risk assessment process that is still underway in Washington. ¶2. (C) Comment: Requests for expedited funds are common from the GOJ and have occurred before almost every previous cash transfer. While the GOJ certainly faces serious budget shortfalls it is also possible that there are other motivations for wanting the funds sooner (reftel). Among the possible reasons are speculation that a cabinet shake-up might be in the works, another common occurrence in Jordan at this time of year and incentive for the current cabinet to demonstrate its tenure was successful and go out on a high note; an absence of grants from neighboring Arab countries, donations that usually help to offset shortfalls, and the end of Ramadan when bonuses are issued to the military whose well being contributes to political stability. End Comment. Visit Amman's classified website at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman Beecroft