Frontier Asia: Economic Transformation and Inclusive Growth; IMF-JICA Conference; Grand Hyatt Erawan, Bangkok, Thailand; January 27

Frontier Asia: Economic Transformation and Inclusive Growth

Bangkok, Thailand, January 27-28, 2013

A Conference Jointly Organized by the IMF and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Bangkok, Thailand

The conference "Economic Transformation and Inclusive Growth in Frontier Economies" will bring together ministers, central bank governors, academics, as well as IMF and JICA staff, and focus on what type of economic transformation is necessary to move up the economic value chain; and how to ensure that growth and job creation benefits all segments of society. The event will conclude with a high-level Roundtable Discussion.

Among the participants are Naoyuki Shinohara, Deputy Managing Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Kiyoshi Kodera, Vice President, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Agenda in PDF

DRAFT AGENDA
Sunday, January 27
19:30-21:30	Welcome Dinner
	Speakers Kiyoshi Kodera, Vice President, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Naoyuki Shinohara, Deputy Managing Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Remarks by Naoyuki Shinohara
Monday, January 28
8:00–9:00	Registration
9:00–9:30	Welcome and Opening Remarks Anoop Singh, Director, Asia and Pacific Department, IMF Prasarn Trairatvorakul, Governor, Bank of Thailand
9:30–9:45	Photo Session
9:45–12:00	SESSION I: ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION Frontier and Developing Asia has experienced strong growth over the last decade. This session will analyze to what degree diversification and the move from traditional sectors to manufacturing has been associated with productivity increases and what kind of policies will be necessary to facilitate this process going forward. Also, the session will address what needs to be done to reduce trading costs to further unleash the growth potential of the region.
9:45–10:45	Economic Transformation and Diversification Moderator Hiroto Arakawa, Vice President, JICA Speakers Chris Papageorgiou, Senior Economist, Strategy, Policy and Review Department, IMF Alexander Pitt, Senior Economist, Asia and Pacific Department, IMF
	Discussion
11:00–12:00	Fragmentation and Trade Cost in Economic Transformation Moderator Bert Hofman, Chief Economist for East Asia and the Pacific Region, World Bank Speaker Ryosuke Nakata, Senior Advisor to the Director General, Credit Risk Analysis and Environmental Review Department, JICA
	Discussion
12:00–13:30	Lunch Luncheon speaker Djoomart Otorbaev, First Vice Prime Minister, Kyrgyz Republic
13:30–15:30	SESSION II: INCLUSIVE GROWTH The session will analyze the nexus between growth and inclusiveness. While poverty has fallen in Frontier and Developing Asia, inequality has increased, dampening the impact of growth on poverty reduction. Both fiscal and financial sector policies can play an important role in broadening the benefits of growth. This session will look at a number of specific examples of policy implementation, including the experience with cash transfers, and highlight the need to find the right balance between financial development and the risks associated with strong credit growth rapid financial sector deepening.
13:30–14:30	The Elusive Quest for Inclusive Growth Moderator Changyong Rhee, Chief Economist, ADB Speaker Satoshi Iijima, Professor, Center for Research and Training on International Development, Saitama University
	Discussion
14:30–15:30	The Role of Financial Deepening Moderator Alfred Schipke, Advisor, Asia and Pacific Department, IMF Speakers Era Dabla-Norris, Deputy Unit Chief, Strategy, Policy and Review Department, IMF Yasuhisa Ojima, Senior Economist, Asia and Pacific Department, IMF
	Discussion
15:45–17:00	SESSION III: ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS Senior policymakers will be able to identify policy priorities and discuss country experiences and challenges in fostering economic transformation and inclusive growth. Moderator Anoop Singh, Director, Asia and Pacific Department, IMF Panelists Country officials
17:00–17:15	Closing remarks Kiyoshi Kodera, Vice President, JICA
17:30–18:00	Press Conference

DRAFT AGENDA

Sunday, January 27

19:30-21:30

Welcome Dinner

Speakers

Kiyoshi Kodera, Vice President, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

Naoyuki Shinohara, Deputy Managing Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Remarks by Naoyuki Shinohara

Monday, January 28

8:00–9:00

Registration

9:00–9:30

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Anoop Singh, Director, Asia and Pacific Department, IMF

Prasarn Trairatvorakul, Governor, Bank of Thailand

9:30–9:45

Photo Session

9:45–12:00

SESSION I: ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION

Frontier and Developing Asia has experienced strong growth over the last decade. This session will analyze to what degree diversification and the move from traditional sectors to manufacturing has been associated with productivity increases and what kind of policies will be necessary to facilitate this process going forward. Also, the session will address what needs to be done to reduce trading costs to further unleash the growth potential of the region.

9:45–10:45

Economic Transformation and Diversification

Moderator
Hiroto Arakawa, Vice President, JICA

Speakers
Chris Papageorgiou, Senior Economist, Strategy, Policy and Review Department, IMF

Alexander Pitt, Senior Economist, Asia and Pacific Department, IMF

Discussion

11:00–12:00

Fragmentation and Trade Cost in Economic Transformation

Moderator
Bert Hofman, Chief Economist for East Asia and the Pacific Region, World Bank

Speaker
Ryosuke Nakata, Senior Advisor to the Director General, Credit Risk Analysis and Environmental Review Department, JICA

Discussion

12:00–13:30

Lunch

Luncheon speaker
Djoomart Otorbaev, First Vice Prime Minister, Kyrgyz Republic

13:30–15:30

SESSION II: INCLUSIVE GROWTH

The session will analyze the nexus between growth and inclusiveness. While poverty has fallen in Frontier and Developing Asia, inequality has increased, dampening the impact of growth on poverty reduction. Both fiscal and financial sector policies can play an important role in broadening the benefits of growth. This session will look at a number of specific examples of policy implementation, including the experience with cash transfers, and highlight the need to find the right balance between financial development and the risks associated with strong credit growth rapid financial sector deepening.

13:30–14:30

The Elusive Quest for Inclusive Growth

Moderator
Changyong Rhee, Chief Economist, ADB

Speaker
Satoshi Iijima, Professor, Center for Research and Training on International Development, Saitama University

Discussion

14:30–15:30

The Role of Financial Deepening

Moderator
Alfred Schipke, Advisor, Asia and Pacific Department, IMF

Speakers
Era Dabla-Norris, Deputy Unit Chief, Strategy, Policy and Review Department, IMF

Yasuhisa Ojima, Senior Economist, Asia and Pacific Department, IMF

Discussion

15:45–17:00

SESSION III: ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS

Senior policymakers will be able to identify policy priorities and discuss country experiences and challenges in fostering economic transformation and inclusive growth.

Moderator
Anoop Singh, Director, Asia and Pacific Department, IMF

Panelists
Country officials

17:00–17:15

Closing remarks

Kiyoshi Kodera, Vice President, JICA

17:30–18:00

Press Conference

Frontier Asia on the Rise

Japan International Cooperation Agency - JICA

Write to us

Email: FrontierAsia@imf.org