How to Prepare a Budget Authorization Cable For Overseas Funding

Updated: 06/17/2004

The best option to send funds overseas is through cable.  Once you determine the purpose and amount of funds you wish to send overseas, you should proceed as follows:

1. Contact your OFM Budget Analyst (see below). The budget analyst is familiar with your program's technical requirements for sending funds overseas and will provide assistance as needed.
2. The Approved By block of the cable should contain the name of your budget analyst, who will initial the cable prior to forwarding it to the cable room (Room 6840).
3. ROUTE the cable to the appropriate American Consulate and Embassy and INFO the supporting Financial Service Center as needed. Provide accurate TAGS for both the Embassy and the Financial Service Support Center. Be sure to use the proper subject and country TAGS. On all cables, the country tag must come after the subject tag (example: BMGT, CO). (For more information, check with your Budget Analyst.)
4. Enter CAPS to route the cable to the Senior Commercial Officer and the B and F Section.
5. State the purpose of the funds precisely, including any funds to be used for hospitality. Verify the coding on the cable by using the electronic version of the coding pattern. To do this, click on your Internet Explorer icon, type in http://ourplace.ita.doc.gov and enter your user ID and password. This will open up the OurPlace homepage. Select the icon marked ITA Finance, which is located on the left side of the screen. When this page opens, cliuck the Accounting Code icon.. This will take you to the ACC Lookup Menu.
6. Include as the last line of the cable text the statement: THIS BUDGET AUTHORIZATION IS AUTHORIZED AND SIGNED BY {FILL-IN NAME OF YOUR BUDGET ANALYST} {DOA/OFM/2130T}.
7. Include an ORIGIN LINE for the Budget Division {ORIGIN: 2130/DOA/OB/
8. {BUDGET ANALYST}}.
9. Prepared cables must be "clean", containing no type-overs, erasures, correction tape or white out.
10. ITA does not send cables to Taipei. If you need to send funds to Taipei, contact Alain DeSarran at 202-482-3972.
11. Check the return copy from the cable room carefully and correct any errors immediately.
12. Domestic Hospitality (Official Entertainment) cables are done separately. For more information, contact your budget analyst.
13. Each cable should include the title, WASH HELD FUNDS or POST HELD FUNDS for correct disbursement by the Department of State. Washington Held Funds are authorized to post but controlled by Washington. Post Held Funds are funds authorized to the posts and controlled by the posts.

For additional information contact your OFM Budget Analyst:

Thomas Odend'hal-Exec. Dir./Admin. 202-482-5598

Edgar Esmabe-USFCS Domestic and Trade Events 202-482-5343

Thomas Odend'hal-USFCS Overseas and Headquarters 202-482-5598

Vanessa Barksdale-IA 202-482-5627

Peggy Fouts-TD 202-482-1952

Nicole Sottung-MAC 202-82-5581