REO seminar 11052020
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- REO seminar 11052020
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Contact
For event inquiries:
International Monetary Fund
Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Tel. 81-(0)3-3597-6700
Email: OAPEconomicSeminar@IMF.org
Overview
- Event: Asia-Pacific Regional Seminar titled "A Multi-Speed Recovery – the IMF’s Outlook for Asia and the Pacific".
- Organizer: IMF Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (OAP).
- Purpose: Present the IMF’s latest economic outlook for the Asia-Pacific region, highlights from the global outlook, and related analytical work drawn from the report IMF Regional Economic Outlook Asia and Pacific.
- Analytical focus discussed:
- Effect of containment and related policy measures on health outcomes and economic activity.
- Distributional consequences of the crisis and policies to mitigate these effects.
- Lessons learned from COVID-19 lockdowns and exits in Asia.
- Impact of COVID-19 on inequality and social stability in the region.
Speakers and professional backgrounds
- Chikahisa Sumi — Director, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, IMF.
- Worked on Asia and the Pacific countries for seven years in the IMF, including leading missions to the Philippines, Singapore, New Zealand and Fiji.
- Headed the Financial Sector Surveillance Group of the Asia and Pacific Department (APD).
- Led the Future of Asia’s Finance project, including the publication of “The Future of Asian Finance” book in 2015.
- Previously held key positions in the Japanese Government, including Deputy Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs, and Deputy Commissioner of the Financial Services Agency.
- Headed Japan’s Debt Management Office.
- Education: LL.B. from the University of Tokyo (1982) and an MBA from Harvard University (1986).
- Personal note: Born in Osaka, Japan; married, one daughter; enjoys various types of fishing. Nickname at Harvard: "Chuck".
- Irina Yakadina — Senior Economist, Regional Studies Division, IMF Asia and Pacific Department.
- Joined the Fund in 2002.
- Worked in African, European, and Fiscal Affairs departments, and the IMF Institute for Capacity Development.
- Prior work involved modeling and macroeconomic forecasting for the euro area and its four largest economies.
- Served as a desk on Spain and as a fiscal desk on Belgium, France, and Nicaragua.
- Research and publications focused on optimal fiscal and monetary policy.
- Education: Ph.D. in Economics from the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona.
- Pragyan Deb — Economist, Regional Surveillance Division, IMF Asia and Pacific Department; desk economist for Myanmar.
- Previously in the IMF’s Strategy, Policy and Review Department, working on IMF lending and surveillance policies, emerging market issues, macro-financial spillovers and policy frameworks to address external shocks.
- Part of the team working on the IMF’s financing arrangement with Mongolia.
- Conducted surveillance work on China, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and Saudi Arabia.
- Contributed to analytical chapters of the Global Financial Stability Report and Regional Economic Outlooks.
- Prior to the IMF, worked on macroprudential policy and banking regulation at the Bank of England.
- Education: PhD in Finance from the London School of Economics.
Key themes and messages presented
- The IMF’s outlook emphasizes a "Multi-Speed Recovery" across Asia and the Pacific, reflecting heterogeneous impacts and recoveries across countries and sectors.
- Analytical chapters addressed:
- The effect of containment measures on health outcomes and economic activity, linking policy responses to both epidemiological and macroeconomic outcomes.
- The distributional consequences of the crisis, and policies to mitigate adverse effects on vulnerable groups.
- Lessons and risks discussed:
- Lessons learned from COVID-19 lockdowns and exits in Asia, including country experiences and policy lessons.
- Risks of increased inequality and potential implications for social unrest stemming from the COVID-19 shock and policy responses.
- Formats presented: each thematic presentation included a Presentation and a Summary.
Agenda (times and items)
- ; 11:00-11:05 am; — Welcome Remarks; Chikahisa Sumi, Director, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, IMF; ;
- 11:05-11:30 am — A Multi-Speed Recovery in Asia; Chikahisa Sumi, Director, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, IMF; Presentation; Summary;
- ; 11:30–11:45am; — COVID-19 Lockdowns and Exits in Asia: Some Lessons; Pragyan Deb, Economist, Asia and Pacific Department, IMF; Presentation; Summary;
- ; 11:45–12:00 pm; — COVID-19 and Inequality in Asia: Risks of Social Unrest?; Irina Yakadina, Senior Economist, Asia and Pacific Department, IMF; Presentation; Summary;
- 12:00–12:30pm — Q&A session;
Content in this bundle
- IMF Regoinal Asia-Pacific Seminar, Presentation by Chikahisa Sumi, November 5 2020
- IMF Regoinal Asia-Pacific Seminar, Presentation by Irina Yakadina, November 5 2020
- IMF Regoinal Asia-Pacific Seminar, Presentation by Pragyan Deb, November 5 2020