Office of Technical Assistance

Overview 

The United States Department of the Treasury, through its Office of Technical Assistance (OTA), provides comprehensive financial advice around the world. OTA’s expert advisors work directly with foreign governments to support their efforts to improve their financial systems. A number of these countries are involved in the transition from state-controlled to market-based economies, some are developing nations that are attempting to develop the capacity to better meet the needs of their populations, while others are emerging from periods of internal or external conflict. The Office also engages in financial reconstruction and stabilization efforts for countries emerging from conflict or those that are considered to be failed states.

Treasury’s program consists of five core areas:

• Budget Policy and Management
• Financial Institutions Policy and Regulation
• Government Debt Issuance and Management
• Financial Enforcement
• Tax Policy and Administration

The Treasury Department fulfills its responsibilities in technical assistance primarily through the placement of resident and intermittent advisors. Long-term, resident advisors provide advice and training to Ministers of Finance, Central Bank Governors, and other government officials. Short-term, intermittent advisors provide highly specialized assistance, as necessary.

As the contours of a market based financial sector slowly begin to emerge, Treasury's technical assistance program is poised to guide financial institutions to adopt policies and procedures which allow for continued and sustainable growth. In these changing financial environments, government institutions must adopt substantially different policies and procedures, and develop their human capital, in order to play an effective role in market economies. Experienced advisors from the United States and other countries provide invaluable assistance in this process.

The following list provides a cross section of the regions and countries in which Treasury has had or currently has technical assistance engagements. This is not intended to be a comprehensive list as existing engagements are continually completed and new ones added.

Last Updated: December 30, 2005