Asia Pacific Regional Seminar 0520
Source details
- Canonical URL
- Asia Pacific Regional Seminar 0520
Other formats
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
- The Asia and Pacific region is described as "the world’s most dynamic," with growth in 2022 expected at 4.9 percent.
- The region’s recovery faces ongoing headwinds and downside risks, such as spillovers from the Ukraine war and tightening global financial conditions.
- The seminar addressed economic developments and risks in the region, highlighting difficult tradeoffs for policymakers, the need to tailor policy responses, and the calibration of withdrawal of policy stimulus to support the post-COVID recovery and protect the vulnerable from rising food and fuel prices.
- The seminar included a discussion of the Japan-specific outlook.
Key findings and risk factors
- Growth projection: 4.9 percent for the Asia and Pacific region in 2022.
- Downside risks identified:
- Spillovers from the Ukraine war.
- Tightening global financial conditions.
- Policy tension emphasized:
- Need to support post-COVID recovery while withdrawing policy stimulus.
- Need to protect vulnerable populations from rising food and fuel prices.
Policy trade-offs and recommendations (as discussed)
- Tailor policy responses to country-specific circumstances.
- Calibrate withdrawal of policy stimulus carefully to:
- Support ongoing recovery from COVID.
- Protect vulnerable populations from higher food and fuel prices.
- Balance inflationary pressures from global shocks against growth support needs.
Speakers and roles
- Kenji Okamura
- Assumed office as Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund on December 3, 2021.
- Previously Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan on International Economic Policies.
- Served as Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs from 2020-21.
- Held positions including Director-General of the International Bureau in the Ministry of Finance and Deputy Commissioner of the Financial Services Agency.
- Served as Vice Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee at the OECD and as IDA Deputy at the World Bank for the IDA18 replenishment.
- Education: Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Tokyo; Master of Public Policy degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
- Shanaka Jayanath (Jay) Peiris
- Division Chief of Regional Studies in the IMF’s Asia and Pacific Department; in charge of APD’s flagship Regional Economic Outlook publication.
- Former Mission Chief for Myanmar and Deputy Division Chief covering ASEAN macro financial Surveillance.
- Previous roles include IMF Resident Representative in the Philippines and Mission Chief to Tonga.
- Joined the IMF Economist Program in 2001 after completing his D. Phil (PhD) in Economics at Oxford University as a British Chevening Scholar.
- Research and publications on inclusive growth, monetary policy and inflation, bond markets, banking and finance, and macroeconomic models for emerging markets.
- Ranil Salgado
- Assistant Director in the IMF’s Asia and Pacific Department and the IMF’s mission chief to Japan.
- Supervises work on the Maldives, Samoa, and Tonga.
- Previous roles include mission chief to India, the Marshall Islands, Myanmar, and Nepal; chief of the Regional Studies Division; and IMF Resident Representative in Singapore.
- Over 25 years at the IMF, with prior experience in the Western Hemisphere; Research; and Strategy, Policy, and Review Departments.
- Education: University of Pennsylvania (masters & PhD in economics); Harvard University (undergraduate in chemistry); Cambridge University (masters in biochemistry).
Seminar agenda (times and items)
- 10:00-10:05 am — Welcome; Jonathan Dunn, Deputy Director, IMF Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
- 10:05-10:15 am — Opening Remarks; Kenji Okamura, Deputy Managing Director, IMF
- 10:15-10:45 am — Presentation: Asia-Pacific Regional Economic Outlook; Jay Peiris, Division Chief, Regional Studies Division, Asia and Pacific Department, IMF
- 10:45-11:05 am — Presentation: Focus on Select Asia and Pacific Countries; Ranil Salgado, Assistant Director and Japan Mission Chief, Asia and Pacific Department, IMF
- 11:05-11:25 am — Q&A session
- 11:25-11:30 am — Closing Remarks; Chikahisa Sumi, Director, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, IMF
Contact and outreach
- Press Officer: Yuko Maeda
- Tel: 81-(0)3-3597-6719
- Email: OAPMedia@IMF.org
- Social media and outreach channels listed include Facebook, Tweet, Newsletter, IMF Tokyo, IMF Asia Pacific Office, IMF YouTube.
Content in this bundle
- Presentation by Jay Peiris and Ranil Salgado, IMF Asia-Pacific Regional Seminar, May 20, 2022