IMF Conference

Akihiko Yoshida, Director, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, IMF

Akihiko Yoshida is Director of the IMF Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific since December 1, 2022. He had a long and distinguished career in the Japanese government and served in key positions, including Deputy Vice Minister for International Affairs. He has an extensive experience in international economic policy issues and represented Japan in different capacities in international fora. From 2009-2013, he worked in the IMF as Advisor to the Director of Asia and the Pacific Department (APD), where he led missions to Pacific Island countries and was also responsible for drawing up capacity development strategies for the region. Born in Tokyo, he holds a LL.B. from the University of Tokyo (1992) and a Master in Public Affairs from Princeton University (1996).

Yuko Kinoshita, Advisor, Fiscal Affairs Department, IMF

Yuko Kinoshita is an Advisor of the Fiscal Affairs Department (FAD) at the IMF. Prior to this role, she held positions as Deputy Division Chief for the Climate Policy Division and the Fiscal Operations Division. Before joining the FAD, Yuko served as deputy mission chief for Singapore and a mission chief for Palau in the Asia and Pacific Department. She also worked as Assistant to the Director in the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (OAP) in Tokyo and held the position of Non-Resident Representative in Mongolia. Yuko worked as a Senior Economist in both European Department and the Institute of Capacity Development. Before joining the IMF, she was an Assistant Professor at the City University of New York and CERGE-EI, Charles University (Prague, Czech Republic). Yuko holds a Ph.D. in Economics from New York University and an M.A. from Boston University. She is a graduate from Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. Her research interests are foreign direct investment, climate change as well as growth and economic development.

Juan Carlos Benitez, Senior Economist, Tax Policy Division 2, Fiscal Affairs Department, IMF

Juan Carlos Benítez is a Senior Economist at the Tax Policy Division 2 in the IMF’s Fiscal Affairs Department where he provides tax policy advice to countries in the Western Hemisphere, Asia and the Pacific, and English and Lusophone speaking African countries. He is also the Fiscal Economist for Costa Rica. He has over 15 years of experience in tax policy, applied economic analysis, and micro-simulation tax modeling. His research is focused on tax capacity development, income, and wealth taxes.  Prior to joining the IMF, he was a fiscal economist at the Inter-American Development Bank and an Economist at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). He has a master’s in public policy with a focus on taxation by the University of Chicago.

Cindy Negus, Senior Economist, Revenue Administration 1 Division, Fiscal Affairs Department, IMF

Cindy Negus is a Senior Economist in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Revenue Administration (RA) 1 Division, FAD, based in Washington, DC.  She joined FAD in November 2020 and primarily provides capacity development assistance to countries in Asia and Pacific. She has advised numerous countries on developing and implementing reform plans, and institutional capacity building. She is also the thematic lead on gender equality for RA and has recently helped author a note on this topic. Prior to joining the IMF, Cindy spent 20 years at the Canada Revenue Agency where she held leadership roles in legislative affairs, VAT compliance, and international tax serving as Canada’s Competent Authority for Tax purposes. She also spent three years at the Canada Border Services Agency where she led Canada’s Customs Modernization project that focused on increasing revenues and streamlining commercial importation processes. 

Presentation

Rowena Sta. Clara, Director IV, Fiscal Policy and Planning Office, Department of Finance, Philippines

Rowena S. Sta. Clara has been with the Department of Finance since 1991 and is currently the Director IV of Fiscal Policy and Planning Office. She specializes in the area of fiscal policy and revenue programming. Her group is responsible for formulating tax policies for indirect taxes and formulating the revenue program of the national government. She was a member of the sin tax reform team in 1997, the sin tax law in 2012, and the TRAIN law in 2018, among others. She was seconded as the Technical Advisor to the Tobacco Control Economics Unit of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland in 2014 and participated in the Voice Secondment Program of the World Bank Group in Washington D.C. in 2019.

Presentation

Aleš Bulíř, Deputy Director, IMF – Singapore Regional Training Institute

Ales Bulir (Aleš Bulíř) joined the IMF – Singapore Regional Training Institute (STI) as Deputy Director in September 2020. Prior to joining STI, he was Deputy Division Chief in the IMF Research Department and Institute for Capacity Development. He joined the IMF in 1993 and worked in the European, Monetary and Exchange Affairs, African, Policy Development and Review, Research and Institute for Capacity Development Departments. His graduate degrees are from the London School of Economics and Prague University of Economics. Prior to joining the Fund, he taught economics in Prague and worked at the Czech National Bank. His research interests include the role of communication in monetary policy, macroeconomic modeling, and the role of development aid.

Aleš Bulíř, Acting Director, IMF – Singapore Regional Training Institute

Ales Bulir (Aleš Bulíř) joined the IMF – Singapore Regional Training Institute (STI) as Deputy Director in September 2020. Prior to joining STI, he was Deputy Division Chief in the IMF Research Department and Institute for Capacity Development. He joined the IMF in 1993 and worked in the European, Monetary and Exchange Affairs, African, Policy Development and Review, Research and Institute for Capacity Development Departments. His graduate degrees are from the London School of Economics and Prague University of Economics. Prior to joining the Fund, he taught economics in Prague and worked at the Czech National Bank. His research interests include the role of communication in monetary policy, macroeconomic modeling, and the role of development aid.

Ruud De Mooij, Deputy Director, Fiscal Affairs Department, IMF

Ruud De Mooij is Deputy Director in the International Monetary Fund’s Fiscal Affairs Department, where he previously headed the Tax Policy Division. He has extensive experience in providing capacity development on tax policy issues in over 25 countries. Before joining the International Monetary Fund, De Mooij was Professor of Public Economics at Erasmus University in Rotterdam. He has published extensively on tax issues, including in the American Economic Review and the Journal of Public Economics. De Mooij is research fellow at the University of Oxford, the University of Bergen, ZEW in Mannheim, and member of the CESifo network in Munich.

Yuko Kinoshita, Advisor, Fiscal Affairs Department, IMF

Yuko Kinoshita is an Advisor of the Fiscal Affairs Department (FAD) at the IMF. Prior to this role, she held positions as Deputy Division Chief for the Climate Policy Division and the Fiscal Operations Division. Before joining the FAD, Yuko served as deputy mission chief for Singapore and a mission chief for Palau in the Asia and Pacific Department. She also worked as Assistant to the Director in the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (OAP) in Tokyo and held the position of Non-Resident Representative in Mongolia. Yuko worked as a Senior Economist in both European Department and the Institute of Capacity Development. Before joining the IMF, she was an Assistant Professor at the City University of New York and CERGE-EI, Charles University (Prague, Czech Republic). Yuko holds a Ph.D. in Economics from New York University and an M.A. from Boston University. She is a graduate from Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. Her research interests are foreign direct investment, climate change as well as growth and economic development.

Manrique Sáenz, Deputy Division Chief, Strategy, Policy and Review, IMF

Manrique Sáenz is Deputy Division Chief in the Debt Policy Division of the IMF’s Strategy, Policy, and Review Department. He led the review of the debt sustainability framework for market access countries through its final stages and its recent rollout. As part of his Fund career, he has had ample experience on emerging-market issues, including fiscal sustainability, international capital flows, and the impact of the global financial crisis. Prior to joining the IMF, he held senior positions at the Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance of Costa Rica. His areas of expertise are macroeconomics and fiscal policy. He has a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California at Los Angeles, USA.

Majdeline El Rayess, Senior Economist, Fiscal Affairs Department, IMF

Majdeline El Rayess is a senior economist in the PFM Division II in Fiscal Affairs Department Prior to joining the IMF, she worked for a decade at the Lebanese Ministry of Finance on variety of issues related to PFM reforms, taxation, accounting, and fiscal reporting. In 2009, she joined the IMF as an expert in Government Finance Statistics with background in public accounting, budget execution and Treasury management. Currently, Ms. El Rayess field of expertise covers wide range of PFM topics such as accounting and financial reporting, fiscal transparency, fiscal risks, budget execution and public investment management. Ms. El Rayess holds a master’s degree in Finance from the University of Saint Joseph, Lebanon.

Rosalia De Leon, Member of the Monetary Board, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

Monetary Board Member (MBM) Rosalia V. De Leon was Treasurer of the Philippines from November 2012 to January 2015 and from February 2017 to September 2023, during which she directed the country’s borrowing, investment, and capital market development policies. She also served at the Department of Finance as Undersecretary of the International Finance Group and as Chief of Staff to the Finance Secretary. She was likewise Alternate Executive Director at the World Bank Group in Washington, DC from January 2015 to January 2017, covering the Philippines, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. She was also Advisor to the Executive Director at the Asian Development Bank. She was sworn in as Monetary Board Member of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas with a six-year term on September 20, 2023. The Monetary Board is the highest policymaking body of the country’s central bank. MBM De Leon earned her Master of Arts in Development Economics from Williams College, Massachusetts, USA. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of the Philippines.

Licheng Lim, Debt Analyst, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Cambodia

Licheng LIM currently serves as a Debt Analyst within the Department of Analysis and Risk Management at the Ministry of Economy and Finance Cambodia (MEF). Before taking on this role, she held the position of young economist in the General Department of Policy at MEF. With a professional background spanning five years, Licheng has gained valuable experience in both the financial industry and government agencies. She is a holder of a Master's in Public Policy from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Akihiko Yoshida, Director, IMF’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

Akihiko Yoshida was appointed as Director of the International Monetary Fund’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (OAP), on December 1, 2022. Mr. Yoshida had a long and distinguished career in the Japanese government and served in key positions, including Deputy Vice Minister for International Affairs, Deputy Director General of International Bureau (both in the Ministry of Finance), and Deputy Commissioner for International Affairs at the Financial Services Agency. He headed the FX Markets Division, IMF Division, Development Policy Division and Regional Financial Cooperation Division during his time in the Ministry of Finance and oversaw G7, G20 and ASEAN + 3 relations, through which he developed a wide range of human networks in Asia and the Pacific region and beyond. He has an extensive experience in international economic policy issues and represented Japan in different capacities in international fora. Earlier in his career (2009-2013), Mr. Yoshida worked in the IMF as Advisor to the Director of Asia and the Pacific Department (APD). While at the IMF, he led missions to Pacific Island Countries and was also responsible for drawing up capacity development strategies for the region. In particular, he played an instrumental role in establishing a Technical Assistance Office in Bangkok in 2012, which is now called the IMF Capacity Development Office in Thailand (CDOT). Born in Tokyo, Japan, Mr. Yoshida holds a LL.B. from the University of Tokyo (1992) and a Master in Public Affairs from Princeton University (1996). He is married with two sons.

Akihiko Yoshida, Director, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, IMF

Akihiko Yoshida is Director of the IMF Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific since December 1, 2022. He had a long and distinguished career in the Japanese government and served in key positions, including Deputy Vice Minister for International Affairs. He has an extensive experience in international economic policy issues and represented Japan in different capacities in international fora. From 2009-2013, he worked in the IMF as Advisor to the Director of Asia and the Pacific Department (APD), where he led missions to Pacific Island countries and was also responsible for drawing up capacity development strategies for the region. Born in Tokyo, he holds a LL.B. from the University of Tokyo (1992) and a Master in Public Affairs from Princeton University (1996).

Krishna Srinivasan, Director, Asia and Pacific Department, IMF

Krishna Srinivasan is the Director of the Asia and Pacific Department (APD). In this capacity, he will oversee the institution’s work on all countries in the Asia-Pacific region. He was previously a Deputy Director in APD, overseeing the work on several systemically important countries, including China and Korea. Prior to that, Krishna was a Deputy Director in the Western Hemisphere Department (WHD), where he oversaw the institution’s work on several countries in the Americas, including Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador and the island economies of the Caribbean, the department’s research activities, and its flagship product, Regional Economic Outlook (REO) for Latin America and the Caribbean. He is a co-editor of two recent books: Brazil—Boom, Bust and the Road to Recovery; and Unleashing Growth and Strengthening Resilience in the Caribbean. Before joining WHD, Krishna was the IMF’s mission chief for the United Kingdom and Israel, when he was a staff member of the European Department, and before that in the Research Department, where he led the IMF’s work on the G-20 in the context of the global financial crisis. In the context of this work, he and was the editor of an IMF book Global Rebalancing: A Roadmap for Economic Recovery. Krishna has been with the IMF since 1994 and has served in several departments across the institution. He secured his PhD in International Finance from Indiana University and a Master’s from the Delhi School of Economics, India, and has published several papers both at the IMF and in leading academic journals.

Thomas Helbling, Deputy Director, Asia and Pacific Department, IMF 

Thomas Helbling is a Swiss national and Deputy Director in the Asia Pacific Department of the International Monetary Fund. In this function, he oversees the department’s work on China, Korea, and Mongolia, and on regional issues. Previously, he was the mission chief for Mexico in the Western Hemisphere Department and mission chief for Indonesia and the Philippines in the Asia Pacific Department. He has worked on a wide range of issues and countries since joining the IMF in 1994. From 2012 15, he was the chief of the World Economic Studies Division, co-directing the work on the IMF’s World Economic Outlook. From 2016 19, he was the chief of the Australia-New Zealand Division and mission chief for both countries. His recent research has focused on commodity price dynamics and global economic conditions; global oil markets; international economic policy issues; international business cycle linkages; and economic history. Mr. Helbling has a doctorate in international economics from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland.

Presentation

Zeno Ronald R. Abenoja, Chief Economic Counselor, Department of Finance, Philippines

Zeno Ronald R. Abenoja is the Chief Economic Counselor at the Department of Finance (DOF). He oversees the Office of the Chief Economist which is responsible for recommending fiscal policies, assessing tax reform proposals as well as developing the macroeconomic forecasting and analytical tools of the DOF. He worked extensively on the formulation of the Medium-Term Fiscal Framework as well as on the design and the conduct of international and local Philippine Economic Briefings. 

Prior to being designated as the DOF Chief Economic Counselor, Mr. Abenoja was the Managing Director of the Department of Economic Research at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). He led the research activities to support the formulation of monetary and financial sector policies of the BSP. He headed the technical staff of the Advisory Committee which recommends the monetary policy stance to the BSP Monetary Board. At the same time, he also led the technical staff of the Open Market Operation Strategy Committee. He was the Chief Editor of the Bangko Sentral Review. 

Previous to being the head of the DER, he was the Director of the Economic and Financial Learning Center at the BSP. He also served as Senior Advisor to the Executive Director for the Southeast Asia Voting Group (SEAVG) at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
 
Mr. Abenoja obtained his Master of Arts Major Economics degree at the University of the Philippines School of Economics and Master in Public Administration major in Economic Policy Management degree at the Columbia University. 

Junji Ueda, Deputy Director-General, Minister’s Secretariat / Director-General, Policy Research Institute, Ministry of Finance Japan

Junji Ueda was appointed as a Deputy Director-General, Minister’s Secretariat of Japan’s Ministry of Finance (JMOF) in July 2023. In addition, he is also working at the Policy Research Institute, as a Director-General since 2020. Prior to the current positions, he worked as a Director for Economic and Fiscal Policy Coordination at JMOF, and an Advisor of the Fiscal Affairs Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Since he joined J MOF in 1994, he has also been engaged in various analytical works on fiscal and economic policy, including long-term projections for Japan’s public finance. He has a Ph.D. in Economics at Kyoto University, a MSc in Economics at London University (LSE), a MSc in Finance at Lancaster University and a BA in Economics at The University of Tokyo.

Presentation

Alfred Schipke, Director, IMF – Singapore Regional Training Institute

Mr. Alfred Schipke leads the IMF – Singapore Regional Training Institute since September 2021. Prior to that he was Assistant Director in the IMF Asia and Pacific Department and Mission Chief for India. From 2013-2020 he was the IMF Senior Resident Representative for China providing policy advice, leading the analytical work of the office, and coordinating the IMF’s capacity building activities in China. He was also division chief in the IMF Asia and Pacific Department coordinating the work on fast-growing low-income countries in Southeast Asia (Frontier Economies) and Mission Chief for Vietnam. Before that, he oversaw the Latin Caribbean and Eastern Caribbean Currency Union divisions in the in the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department, where he negotiated several IMF programs. He has taught international finance at Harvard Kennedy School and the National School of Development at Peking University and has authored and edited several books and articles.

Alfred Schipke, Director, IMF – Singapore Regional Training Institute

Mr. Alfred Schipke leads the IMF – Singapore Regional Training Institute since September 2021. Prior to that he was Assistant Director in the IMF Asia and Pacific Department and Mission Chief for India. From 2013-2020 he was the IMF Senior Resident Representative for China providing policy advice, leading the analytical work of the office, and coordinating the IMF’s capacity building activities in China. He was also division chief in the IMF Asia and Pacific Department coordinating the work on fast-growing low-income countries in Southeast Asia (Frontier Economies) and Mission Chief for Vietnam. Before that, he oversaw the Latin Caribbean and Eastern Caribbean Currency Union divisions in the in the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department, where he negotiated several IMF programs. He has taught international finance at Harvard Kennedy School and the National School of Development at Peking University and has authored and edited several books and articles.

Ales Bulir, Deputy Director, IMF – Singapore Regional Training Institute 

Mr. Ales Bulir (Aleš Bulíř) joined the IMF – Singapore Regional Training Institute (STI) as Deputy Director in September 2020. Prior to joining STI, he was Deputy Division Chief in the IMF Research Department and Institute for Capacity Development. He joined the IMF in 1993 and worked in the European, Monetary and Exchange Affairs, African, Policy Development and Review, Research and Institute for Capacity Development Departments. His graduate degrees are from the London School of Economics and Prague University of Economics. Prior to joining the Fund, he taugh

Vitor Gaspar, Director, Fiscal Affairs Department, IMF

A Portuguese national, Mr. Vitor Gaspar is Director of the Fiscal Affairs Department of the International Monetary Fund. Prior to joining the IMF, he held a variety of senior policy positions in Banco de Portugal, including Head of Research and Statistics. He served as Minister of State and Finance of Portugal during 2011–13. He was head of the European Commission’s Bureau of European Policy Advisers during 2007–10 and director-general of research at the European Central Bank during 1998–2004. Mr. Gaspar holds a Ph.D. and a post-doctoral agregado in Economics from Universidade Nova de Lisboa; he also studied at Universidade Católica Portuguesa.

Presentation: The Future of Fiscal Policy

Jordan Roulleau-Pasdeloup, Professor, National University of Singapore

Jordan Roulleau-Pasdeloup holds a PhD in Economics from CREST/Paris School of Economics. He joined the National University of Singapore as an Assistant Professor of Economics in 2017 after a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Lausanne. His research focuses mostly on the macroeconomic effects of monetary and fiscal policies, as well as the tools used to study these. His research has been published in journals such as the Journal of Monetary Economics, the Review of Economic Dynamics as well as the Economic Journal.

Discussion: The Future of Fiscal Policy

Akihiko Yoshida, Director, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, IMF

Akihiko Yoshida was appointed as Director of the International Monetary Fund’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (OAP), on December 1, 2022.

Mr. Yoshida had a long and distinguished career in the Japanese government and served in key positions, including Deputy Vice Minister for International Affairs, Deputy Director General of International Bureau (both in the Ministry of Finance), and Deputy Commissioner for International Affairs at the Financial Services Agency. He headed the FX Markets Division, IMF Division, Development Policy Division and Regional Financial Cooperation Division during his time in the Ministry of Finance and oversaw G7, G20 and ASEAN + 3 relations, through which he developed a wide range of human networks in Asia and the Pacific region and beyond. He has an extensive experience in international economic policy issues and represented Japan in different capacities in international fora.

Earlier in his career (2009-2013), Mr. Yoshida worked in the IMF as Advisor to the Director of Asia and the Pacific Department (APD). While at the IMF, he led missions to Pacific Island Countries and was also responsible for drawing up capacity development strategies for the region. In particular, he played an instrumental role in establishing a Technical Assistance Office in Bangkok in 2012, which is now called the IMF Capacity Development Office in Thailand (CDOT).