Regional Trainings

 

2025

Regional Trainings

 

November 20–21: The 13th IMF Statistical Forum: Study on Bridging the Gap Between Immediate and Ultimate Investors

The 13th IMF Statistical Forum, held in Washington DC, on November 20–21, 2025, is a high-level annual event that brings together global experts, policymakers, and academics to explore cutting-edge issues in economic and macroeconomic statistics. This year’s theme—“Measuring Cross-Border Economic and Financial Linkages in a Dynamic World”—reflects the growing complexity of globalization, corporate structures, and financial integration. Discussions focused on improving the measurement of cross-border investment, multinational enterprise ownership, and identifying ultimate investors to produce more accurate and policy-relevant statistics. One of the contributions was a presentation by Amila Wijayawardhana, CDOT Regional External Sector Statistics (ESS) Advisor, based on a paper co-authored with former CDOT ESS Advisor Renato Pérez, titled: “Bridging the Gap Between Immediate and Ultimate Investors – Operationalizing BPM7.” The paper introduces a hybrid methodology to implement updated Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM7) recommendations for compiling Direct Investment statistics by Ultimate Investor Economy. This approach addresses distortions that occur when Direct Investment is recorded only by the Immediate Investing Economy— an approach that often obscures the true source of investment when capital is routed through tax-friendly or conduit jurisdictions. To overcome these challenges, the methodology combines:
  • Redesigned and visually enhanced enterprise surveys 
  • AI-powered ownership tracing
  • Probabilistic network models to identify ultimate investors even when ownership chains are incomplete

Using global data, the study estimates how much investment flows through major conduit economies and applies the approach to Sri Lanka as a case study. The findings are notable:

  • Over 40% of Sri Lanka’s inward Direct Investment is routed through conduit jurisdictions
  • More than 95% of these investments can be accurately linked to their true source economies using the proposed hybrid approach

This demonstrates that compiling Ultimate Investor Economy based Direct Investment statistics is both feasible and essential for improving transparency, accuracy, and policy relevance in today’s interconnected world.

CDOT’s ESS Project plans to work closely with authorities of beneficiary countries to incorporate this methodology into their compilation systems. By adopting UIE-based approaches, CDOT countries can expect substantial benefits, including:

  • More accurate identification of the true origin of foreign investments, reducing reliance on misleading conduit-economy data.
  • Greater transparency for policymakers, donors, and international partners, with improved analytical capacity for investment policy, enabling governments to better target investor outreach, negotiate investment agreements, and understand geoeconomic exposure.
  • Enhanced Balance of Payments and International Investment Position data quality, with direct investment compilation aligned with BPM7 standards.

Through these enhancements, CDOT beneficiary countries that choose to adopt this methodology will gain a deeper understanding of cross-border investment dynamics and strengthen evidence-based economic policymaking.

 
     

September 1 – 12: STI-CDOT Course on Topics in Monetary Policy (MP) and Model-Based Monetary Policy Analysis and Forecasting (MPAF)

STI and CDOT conducted a regional course on Monetary Policy and Model Based Monetary Policy Analysis and Forecasting (MPAF) in Da Nang, Vietnam. The course balanced a mix of foundational training and hands-on, in-person learning, interactive workshops, meticulous organization, and effective counseling. There were 26 participants from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam (CLV). Participants highlighted the course’s usefulness considering Forecasting and Policy Analysis System (FPAS) technical assistance. In addition, an AI enabled teaching agent named KITA was trained on the MPAF course reading materials and introduced to students.
 
 

September 29 – October 3: CDOT Course on International Trade in Goods and Services, and Remittances in the Balance of Payment

Renato Pérez, CDOT External Sector Statistics Advisor, and the IMF team conducted a regional course on an External Sector Statistics (ESS) focused on the compilation of goods, services, and remittances in the balance of payments in Hanoi, Vietnam. The course was designed to provide participants with a sound understanding of the treatment of goods, including factoryless goods production, selected services categories, digital trade, remittances, and grants. There were 29 participants from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Timor Leste, and Vietnam.
     
   

November 6-7: High-Level Digitalization Forum

IMF’s Fiscal Affairs Department (FAD), IMF’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (OAP), South Asia Regional Training and Technical Assistance Center (SARTTAC), and CDOT jointly organized the High-Level Digitalization Forum in Tokyo with the generous funding support by the Government of Japan. The forum catalyzed interactive discussions, showcases, and peer learning on the digital transformation in public financial management—strengthening fiscal operations, improving transparency, and enhancing service delivery to the public. There were 27 senior officials, including Vice Ministers, Secretaries of State, Undersecretaries, Directors Generals, and heads of digitalization from ministries of finance and central agencies from 12 countries across Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Lao PDR, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.
     
   

October 22–24: High-Level Roundtable on Updated Macroeconomic Statistical Standards

The IMF Statistics Department and CDOT in collaboration with UNESCAP, hosted a high-level roundtable in Bangkok to advance the implementation of updated macroeconomic statistical standards. The event gathered 45 senior officials from central banks and national statistical offices of 19 Asian economies, along with UNESCAP representatives. Discussions focused on assessing countries’ preparedness, identifying priorities and resource needs, and developing national strategies for adopting the new standards. Most participants indicated plans to implement BPM7 and the 2025 SNA by 2029–2030. Sessions introduced practical tools for evaluating alignment, accuracy, and reliability of balance of payments and national accounts data, which generated strong interest and constructive feedback. A panel highlighted experiences and lessons learned from four countries on implementing BPM6 and the 2008 SNA, as well as tentative timelines for transitioning to the updated standards. The workshop concluded with a dialogue on how international organizations can support compilers in meeting these ambitious goals.
     

April 21 – 24: Course on Central Bank Foreign Exchange (FX) Operations and Reference Exchange Rate

The South Asia Regional Training and Technical Assistance Center (SARTTAC) and CDOT jointly delivered a regional course on Central Bank Foreign Exchange (FX) Operations and Reference Exchange Rate, led by Giorgi Barbakadze, CDOT Monetary and Foreign Exchange Operations Advisor. The course focused on the FX reference rate, highlighting the principles of robustness, representativeness, and replicability in designing reference rate frameworks. A workshop examined governance and the role of transparency and communications for FX policy and operations. There were 32 participants from 10 central banks: Cambodia, Lao P.D.R., Vietnam, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines.
 

March 24 – 27: Course on Emergency Liquidity Assistance (ELA)

The South Asia Regional Training and Technical Assistance Center (SARTTAC) and CDOT jointly delivered a regional course on Emergency Liquidity Assistance (ELA) in New Delhi, India, led by Giorgi Barbakadze, CDOT Monetary and Foreign Exchange Operations Advisor. The course provided lectures on ELA Frameworks, collateral framework, country case from Thailand, and ELA Communication and Transparency. A workshop was also conducted for simulating ELA scenarios offered participants practical experience in managing ELA requests from commercial banks. There were 27 participants from 8 central banks: Cambodia, Lao P.D.R., Vietnam, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Philippines. 
 

March 10 – 14: Workshop on compilation of personal transfers of workers abroad, remittances and grants in external sector statistics

Renato Pérez, CDOT External Sector Statistics Advisor, conducted a regional workshop on compilation of personal transfers of workers abroad, remittances and grants in external sector statistics (ESS) in Nadi, Fiji. The workshop provided a comprehensive understanding of treatment of remittances and grants in ESS framework, with in-person sessions dedicated to reviewing the conceptual framework and discussing in depth practical challenges faced by compilers. There were 20 participants from Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Samoa, Timor-Leste, and Tonga in the workshop.
 

February 10 – 14: Course on Liquidity Forecasting and Estimation of demand for Reserves

The South Asia Regional Training and Technical Assistance Center (SARTTAC) and CDOT jointly delivered a regional course on liquidity forecasting and estimation of demand for reserves in New Delhi. The course was led by Giorgi Barbakadze, CDOT Monetary and Foreign Exchange Operations Advisor, as a continuation of series of SARTTAC and CDOT joint courses on monetary policy implementation. The topics covered the framework of liquidity monitoring and forecasting to support calibration of main open market operations (OMOs). There were 23 participants from 9 central banks, namely Cambodia, Lao PDR, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Philippines.
 

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