Press Release No. 14/536

Press Release: IMF Technical Assistance Office for the Lao P.D.R. and Myanmar Scales Up Activities

November 24, 2014

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Technical Assistance Office for the Lao P.D.R. and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar (TAOLAM) has scaled up its support for the member countries over the past year with a range of tailored-made capacity building programs. TAOLAM’s Advisory Committee, chaired by Ms. Pongpen Ruengvirayudh, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Thailand, met in Bangkok on November 24, 2014 to review recent activities, endorse the work plan, and set priorities for the coming year.

The Committee welcomed TAOLAM’s critical role in building institutional capacity and supporting effective reforms in the member countries. The Committee also highlighted the important benefits of TAOLAM in facilitating the enhancement of macroeconomic management frameworks in the Lao P.D.R. and Myanmar. Recently, TAOLAM has strengthened its capacity building activities by appointing a total number of five advisors. The Committee also welcomes the ongoing collaboration with regional partners including IMF-Singapore Regional Training Institute.

The Advisory Committee endorsed TAOLAM’s work plans and set priorities for the period ahead, focusing on the implementation of technical assistance and training courses in areas of treasury management, monetary operations, building macroeconomic frameworks, and external sector and government financial statistics. The committee looks forward to further effective contributions in helping member countries face new challenges and growing complexities of the world economy.

Background

TAOLAM, located in Bangkok, Thailand, serves mainly the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. It provides capacity-building assistance in several core areas of expertise of the International Monetary Fund: public financial management; monetary policy and operations; macro-fiscal analysis; and external and government finance statistics. Its activities are supported by the Government of Japan and the Bank of Thailand. The Advisory Committee comprises representatives from the member countries (the Lao P.D.R. and Myanmar), the donors (Japan and Thailand), and the IMF, is responsible for overseeing and providing guidance on the Office’s strategies and priorities.

Useful links:

IMF Technical Assistance

TAOLAM