News Brief No. 02/69

News Brief: IMF Appoints Hiroyuki Hino as New Director of Asia-Pacific Office

July 18, 2002

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Horst Köhler has named Hiroyuki Hino as Director of the IMF's Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. Mr. Hino was Senior Advisor of the Fund's African Department before taking up this position, and succeeds Mr. Kunio Saito.

Mr. Hino, a national of Japan, joined the IMF in 1975. As Senior Advisor, Mr. Hino was mission chief for the Fund's work in assisting several African countries. Previously, he contributed to the development of Fund policy in several areas as a senior staff member in its Exchange and Trade Relations Department (now Policy Development and Review Department). Mr. Hino was also Professor of Economics at Kobe University, Kobe, Japan, during 1996-1997.

The Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (OAP), which is located in Tokyo, monitors regional economic and financial developments, participates in regional fora on trade and monetary cooperation, and promotes dialogue in the region on current issues and challenges in the international financial system as well as on the Fund and its policies. OAP takes the lead in facilitating the Fund's involvement, at the regional level, in the economic and financial development of the Asia-Pacific region.