IMF Conference co-hosted by Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and Fiscal Affairs Department
Designing Fiscally Sustainable and Equitable Pension Systems in Asia in the Post-crisis World
January 9 – 10, 2013
Tokyo, Japan
The conference—jointly organized by the IMF’s Fiscal Affairs Department (FAD) and Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (OAP)—will assess the challenges advanced and emerging countries in the Asia-Pacific region face with their public pension systems and will explore options to address them in a fiscally sustainable and equitable manner. To do so the conference will draw on theoretical insights and country experiences from the region. The conference will include a policy-focused panel discussion. A press conference will be held after this event.
Disclaimer
The website contains papers and web links to papers that were presented at the conference on Designing Fiscally Sustainable and Equitable Pension Systems in Asia in the Post-crisis World. The views expressed in these papers are those of the authors only, and the presence of them, or of links to them, on the IMF website does not imply that the IMF, its Executive Board, or its management endorses or shares the views expressed in the papers.
| Designing Fiscally Sustainable and Equitable Pension Systems in Asia in the Post-crisis World Tokyo, Japan |
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| Day 1—Wednesday, January 9 | |
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9:00–9:15 am |
Registration |
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9:15–9:30 am |
Opening Remarks
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9:30–11:00 am |
Session 1: Trends and outlook for public pension spending in Asia in comparative perspective |
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This session will provide an assessment of the factors that have driven public pension spending in Asia and other regions since 1970, including population aging, expanding coverage, and increases in generosity. Projections of future public pension spending, attitudes towards the role of the state in providing pensions, and the issues of inter-generational and gender fairness of different types of pension systems will also be discussed.
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11:00–11:15 am |
Coffee break |
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11:15 am–12:45 pm |
Session 2: Cross-country experiences and challenges |
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This session will examine the reform experiences of advanced and emerging Asian economies, with a view to determining the lessons for other advanced and emerging economies of the region as they seek to implement fiscally sustainable and equitable pension systems. It will also examine the role of the public and private sectors in ensuring retirement incomes.
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12:45–2:15 pm |
Lunch |
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2:15–3:45 pm |
Session 3: Reform strategies: the experience of emerging Asian economies |
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The country case studies presented in this session will examine reform experiences in selected emerging Asian economies and remaining challenges in expanding coverage and adequacy in a fiscally sustainable and equitable manner.
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3:45–4:00 pm |
Coffee break |
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4:00–5:30 pm |
Session 4: Reform strategies: the experience of advanced Asian economies |
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The session will examine the experiences of selected advanced Asian economies, in particular the impact of the crisis on the sustainability and equity of existing pension arrangements and the need for further reforms.
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6:30–9:00 pm |
Dinner reception |
| Day 2—Thhursday, January 10 | |
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9:00–10:30 am |
Session 5: The role of private pensions in providing equitable and sustainable pensions in the post-crisis world |
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This session will examine the challenges and opportunities facing private pension plans, including occupational pensions, in a low-yield and aging post-crisis world as seen by industry participants.
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10:30–10:45 am |
Coffee break |
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10:45 am–12:15 pm |
Session 6: Policy Panel Discussion |
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This panel will discuss policy options for achieving sustainable and equitable pensions. Panelists will address: (1) which reforms are preferable for emerging Asia to expand coverage and ensure pension adequacy for men and women; (2) what lessons—if any—to take away from the financial and economic crisis; (3) the impact of reforms on the fairness across generations and gender fairness in advanced Asian economies, (4) the role of provident funds and private pension funds in providing equitable and sustainable pensions; and (5) the political economy of reforms.
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12:15–12:30 pm |
Closing Remarks |
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12:30–2:00 pm |
Light Lunch |
- iMFdirect Blog: It’s the Years, Not The Mileage: IMF Analysis of Pension Reforms in Advanced Economies, Benedict Clements, February 1, 2012
- iMFdirect Blog: Going Broke? Why Pension Reforms Are Needed in Emerging Economies, Mauricio Soto, April 6, 2012