May 2000
Bank of Japan
International Department

Technical Assistance by the Bank of Japan

The Bank of Japan offers technical assistance (TA) to the overseas central banks and monetary authorities (hereafter "central banks"). The Bank organizes seminars/workshops, arranges meetings between overseas central bank colleagues and the Bank's staff members in Japan, sends skilled bankers abroad to support central banking operations, and provides a wide range of information and data on central banking upon request. The Bank also answers daily inquiries from other central banks via facsimile, telephone, and E-mail.

The primary aims of TA are to contribute to enhancing the stability of the global financial system, and to deepening mutual understanding and strengthening relationships between the Bank and other central banks. The Bank also cooperates closely with international institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), to achieve these aims.

Brief History of TA Activities

The Bank of Japan has a more than 30 years' experience in TA activities. In the late 1960s, the Bank dispatched a senior official to Banque Nationale du Rwanda as its Governor. In the early 1970s, the Bank dispatched another official to Nepal Rastia Bank (Central Bank of Nepal) as an Adviser. The Bank has been hosting annual seminars for Asian central banks since 1976.

In the 1990s, the Bank extended TA to the central banks of countries in transition. Between 1991 and 1999, approximately 170 staff members were dispatched overseas, and over 4,000 colleagues were received from other countries. During this time, there was a significant increase in requests for TA from countries in transition, and industrialized economies, principally the G-10 countries, agreed to provide TA to these countries in a globally coordinated manner, under the initiative of the IMF and the BIS.

Recent Activities

The Bank has changed the orientation of its seminars/workshops reflecting the developments in the global economy. In the early 1990s, seminars/workshops were arranged for central banks of countries in transition. In the mid-1990s, the number of requests from these countries decreased as their economic reforms showed progress. Meanwhile, the need for exchange of information and cooperation between the central banks in the Asian region increased as their economies became increasingly interdependent. In response to these changes, the Bank has organized more seminars/workshops for Asian central banks, particularly for members of the Executives' Meeting of East Asia-Pacific Central Banks (EMEAP).

The Bank has also changed its TA programs over the years. In the early stages of the Bank's TA activities, seminars/workshops mainly dealt with overall central banking business. In recent years, the Bank's seminars/workshops have focused more on timely issues, reflecting the dynamic changes in the global financial markets, financial instruments, and information technology. For example, recent topics taken up at the seminars/workshops are electronic money, the Year 2000 problem, and developments in the government bond markets.