Katayama Set to Become First Japanese Chair of World Bank-IMF Committee

The committee advising the IMF on development policy has never had a Japanese chair since its founding in 1974, and Tokyo expects returns.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced on October 12 that Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama will become the next chair of the World Bank-IMF Joint Development Committee. She made the announcement in a post on her X account.

A Historic First for Japan 

The Development Committee advises the International Monetary Fund on development policy. Katayama will be the first Japanese chair since the body was established in 1974.

"We take great pride in the fact that Minister Katayama will serve as Chair of this authoritative committee, which has a history spanning over half a century," Takaichi wrote.

Expectations for Japanese business

The prime minister expressed hope that Katayama's leadership would deepen discussions on development challenges and benefit Japanese businesses. "We look forward to the discussions on resolving these issues deepening further under Minister Katayama's leadership," she said, adding that she expects the outcome to contribute to international development, support Japanese companies overseas, and promote sustainable growth in Japan. 

Katayama responded on her own X account. "Thank you so much for the announcement from Prime Minister Takaichi—it truly fills me with gratitude and a renewed sense of resolve," she wrote.

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(Read the article in Japanese.)

Author: Makoto Chiba, The Sankei Shimbun