ANONYMOUS SOURCE PROVIDES DETAILED BUDGET INFO FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000273 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/15/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM ASEC GV SUBJECT: ANONYMOUS SOURCE PROVIDES DETAILED BUDGET INFO FOR GOG REF: CONAKRY 0195 Classified By: POL/ECON CHIEF SHANNON CAZEAU FOR REASON 1.4 B AND D ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Close-held data from an anonymous source provides valuable insights into the GoG's expenditures over the first quarter of 2009. Military/CNDD spending comprised 42% of the approximately $118 million in expenditures. Many government ministries were severely underfunded and some not funded at all. However, a handful of ministries were funded well over the $1 million mark, raising questions about what the money was used for. The data indicates the CNDD's priorities and suggests that the GoG could probably have funded elections at a more significant level if it had chosen to do so. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) An unidentified contact passed a quarterly financial statement from the Ministry of Finance to an Embassy LES. LES asked that the information be kept close-hold and that she not be asked to divulge her source. The statement is a three page document that details the GoG's expenditures between December 23 (the date of the coup) and March 31. Embassy cannot vouch for the accuracy of this document although it does appear authentic. It includes all ministries, the CNDD, the Prime Minister's Office, and the Office of the President. Total expenditures for the quarter for each government entity are detailed at the end of this telegram. ¶3. (C) The document appears to cover the GoG's total expenditures for the first quarter of 2009, which total approximately $118 million. The military, the CNDD, and the Office of the President together received about 31% of these funds (not including salaries). When military salaries are added in, the figure jumps to 42%. In contrast, the Prime Minister's office received just $16,000. Several ministries were not funded at all while others received less than $10,000 for the quarter. Civil service salaries totaled $30.73 million and were regularly disbursed each month, but contacts report that salary payments were often delayed. ¶4. (C) Outside of the military junta funding, a number of ministries received funding over the $1 million mark, including Foreign Affairs, Public Works, Urbanism and Habitat, Youth, Higher Education, and Hydrology and Energy. Interestingly, the Ministry of Youth received most of its $1.12 million in the month of March, which also happens to coincide with the large pro-Dadis youth rally (reftel). Similarly, the unusual $3.77 million to the Ministry of Higher Education is likely related to a highly publicized tour by Dadis of universities in Conakry, during which he promised a major influx of cash to higher education institutions. ¶5. (C) Some significant disbursements raise questions as to what the funds were to be used for. For example, the Ministry of Urbanism and Habitat received $5.41 million while the Ministry of Hydrology and Energy received $2.7 million. The Ministry of Public Works also received close to $1 million. The bulk of these funds were released in February and March. The CNDD has made little if any mention of infrastructure development plans, although there is a major construction project underway at Camp Boiro. These disbursements appear all the more suspicious given the abysmal funding to most other government ministries. ¶6. (C) The Ministry of Territorial Administration and Political Affairs, which is responsible for organizing elections, received $124,000 for the quarter - a relatively high amount compared to most ministries, but disappointingly low compared to others, especially given the push for elections. ¶7. (C) At the bottom of the document, it is noted that the following sectors/departments are considered GoG priorities: Justice, Agriculture, Fishing, Urbanism and Habitat, Pre-University Education, Technical Education, Higher Education, and Hydrology and Energy. However, funding levels were all over the map for these identified priorities. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶8. (C) If accurate, this data is invaluable as it has been very difficult to get GoG officials to talk about concrete figures. The military and the CNDD received more than 40% the GoG's funds during the first quarter of the year. Spending outside of the military sector indicates where the CONAKRY 00000273 002 OF 002 CNDD's current priorities might lie. If the figures are correct, it seems that elections fall toward the bottom of the list. The figures suggest that if the GoG wanted to fund elections, it could have done so - or it could have at least allocated a more significant amount towards that objective during the first quarter of 2009. END COMMENT -------------- -- TABLE - GOG EXPENDITURES FOR FIRST QUARTER 2009 -------------- -- CNDD - $3.77 million Presidency - $1.21 million Prime Minister - $16,000 Ministry of Defense - $31.51 million MATAP (Territorial Admin. and Political Affairs) - $124,000 Ministry of Security - $227,000 Ministry of Justice - $148,000 Ministry of Foreign Affairs - $1.96 million Ministry of Economy and Finance - $281,000 Ministry of Labor - $6,400 Ministry of Agriculture - $5,300 Ministry of Fishing - $12,900 Ministry of Public Works - $976,000 Ministry of Urbanism and Habitat - $5.41 million Ministry of Pre-University Education - $42,000 Ministry of Health - $272,000 Ministry of Communication - $166,000 Ministry of Technical Education - $133,000 Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture - $1.12 million National Communication Council (CNC) - $102,000 Grand Chancery of Merit Orders (Awards) - $47,000 Ministry of Higher Education - $3.77 million Ministry of Hydrology and Energy - $2.7 million Ministry of State Control (Economic) - $320,000 Ministry of Culture - $1,600 Military Remunerations (salaries) - $13.43 million Civil Service Remunerations (salaries) - $30.73 million Debt Service - $4.45 million SEG (water company) - $1.45 million EDG (electric company) - $1.63 million Mining Fund - $565,000 Social Security - $233,000 Interest payments on government bonds - $9.76 million Payments to veterans - $987,000 The following ministries/departments received no funds at all: Mines, Commerce, Tourism, Social Affairs, Supreme Court, Secretary General of the Government, Secretary General of the Islamic League, Transport, and Administration and Control of Large Projects. RASPOLIC