Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program
：
Master’s Program in Public Policy and Taxation
Yokohama National University
NEWSLETTER
ISSUE 36
DECEMBER 2015
Message from the Director
Dear all,
Winter is officially here, and “Jack Frost” is certainly letting us know about it! For many of our
students now at YNU, it will be the first time to experience such chilly weather. Japanese often boast
of having “four seasons” and Winter is certainly one of them. So, please stay warm, don’t forget your
hat and scarf, and bundle up!
Inside This
Issue
Message from
the Director
2-3 Articles by
Students
4-5 Student
News
6 Alumni
News
For those more adventurous, I hope you have a chance to enjoy the plus side of winter: beautiful
snow! It doesn’t snow much here in Yokohama, but it certainly does in the mountains. While bonechillingly cold, there is something very peaceful and calming about being in the Japanese Alps,
surrounded by blue skies and pristine, white snow and the crunching “zaku, zaku” of snow compressed
beneath your boots! You will forget you are in Japan….Perhaps some of you will have a chance to
experience this before returning to your own country.
On that note, next year’s “Spring” Field Trip will be a chilly one. We plan to go to Hokkaido in early
March.
The end of the year is a time to refresh and recharge. I hope the current students will have a chance to
relax a bit and take a break from your many studies and slow down for a few days over the holidays.
It is also a good chance to travel a bit in Japan, if you have the time. Please remember many
businesses close at the end of the year or have irregular schedules, so please take that into
consideration when making your plans.
I am trying (and only partially succeeding) in being more active on the YNU Facebook site. It is a great
way to keep in touch and up-to-date with our steadily expanding network of friends.
An even better way to keep in touch is when YNU Profs
have a chance to visit our alumni in their home countries!
Prof. Hasebe, currently YNU President, met with alumni
in Mongolia in October. Profs. Arie and Yamazaki also
visited with alumni (and prospective students) in
Indonesia in early 2015. I hope to travel to Indonesia in
March 2016. It would be great to see some “old” friends
in Jakarta then.
Wishing you all a happy holiday season and new year!
Best regards,
Craig Parsons
MPE Director
MPE - PPT NEWSLETTER
PAGE 2
Articles
Rethinking Productive Development Policies for Economic Transformation:
The Latin American Experience
Special Topic Lecture
By Naro Rin, Cambodia, Cohort 16
On November 11, 2015, there was a Special Topic Lecture on “Rethinking Productive Development Policies
(PDPs) for Economic Transformation: The Latin America Experience”, the title of an Inter-American
Development Bank (IDB) publication, given by Dr. Medina-Lopez Fausto, advisor to the IABD and senior
international development consultant for other international development institutions.
He initially introduced the 2008-09 financial crisis which started with the financial collapse of the Thai
baht and commodity price during the last two decades except the above period was boomed due to the
increasing demand from emerging markets such as the BRIC countries, especially China. This phenomenon
was similar to that of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) which has 640 million population and total
GDP of US$ 5.8 trillion in 2014.
Next, Prof. Fausto reviewed the global competitive index in 2015 that indicates Chile, ranked 33rd among
140 countries, is the top among LAC countries following by Panama (50th), Costa Rica (52nd), Mexico
(57th), Colombia (61st), Uruguay (73rd), Brazil (75th), and Ecuador (76th), etc. He also expressed that the
LAC region has not succeeded its expected high growth performance regarding the low factor of
production since 1980s that narrows the income gap with United States.
He then explained the role of rethinking PDPs resulting from the aftermath of stagnant productivity caused
from the failure of past industrial policies in Latin America (LA) that did not focus on the latent
comparative advantages, a critical anchor of successful development policy elsewhere; it has often done
more harm than good. And the public sectors in the LA region were not robust enough to build a sound
development strategy.
Dr. Fausto also mentioned that new approaches of PDPs should not focus only on import substitution but
also help firms in new sectors to become internationally competitive and integrated in the global value
and supply chain, such as export-oriented industries and those moving up the technology ladder. He
exhibited a conceptual framework to classify policies in different categories in order to make sense of their
diversity -- “The typology of PDPs interventions”.
Sound policies in key areas of application were also presented. In particular, the Tradeoffs of Innovation
Policies is the core of productive transformation. Most successful countries in terms of catching up spent
much money on research and development (R&D), such as Israel (4.3% of GDP) and South Korea (3.7%
of GDP) but Latin America spent only 0.8% of GDP. Smart Financing for Development is how to use
financial instruments smartly to advance PDPs with maximum effectiveness. Selecting Sectors for Vertical
Policies led to drastic changes in exports from products of low sophistication, such as garments, to more
sophisticated products, such as machinery and automobiles as in South Korea. The Public Sector should be
ready as a coordinator to provide collective input to groups of producers by encouraging co-financing and
providing financial advantages to industries.
Last but not least, Dr. Fausto suggested that as tax officials and policy makers, we need to think outside the
box; do not solely consider maximizing revenue. Taxation alone cannot be a tool for economic growth.
We should think of long-term industrial policies, simple legal framework for investment, creating
employment, global competitiveness and other innovative commodities for exports.
MPE - PPT NEWSLETTER
PAGE 3
JFE STEEL CORPORATION ECO PROCCESS: AN ENLIGHTENING SHOCK!
By Olowojoba Ozaveshe Idowu, Nigeria, Cohort 16
I was fortunate to be part of the MPE-PPT Field Trip of Yokohama National University that
visited JFE Chiba on the 5th of June 2015, which was comprised of students from Africa and
Asia as well as some MPE faculty and staff. Upon arrival, I took a cursory look at the
production facility and could not perceive that production was in full capacity. I really
expected to see a smoky, dirty environment, with people moving around with masks to
protect them from air pollution as is the case in most other countries.
We soon took a tour around the factory where we learnt that a total of about 10,000 tons of
60 iron is being produced on daily basis, which is subsequently transformed into steel sheets,
stainless steels plate, pipe and other high precision metals. At this point I was able to come to
terms with the fact JFE really is a leading example of how steel mills can operate in harmony
with the community and environment. Another shocking point was realizing that Japan has
no single deposit of iron ore, especially when compared to the level of steel
consumption/usage.
One can then conclude that the level of steel consumption can be an indicator for economic
development as evidenced in Germany, USA, China and Japan.
MPE - PPT NEWSLETTER
PAGE 4
Student News
Congratulations to the Cohort 15 Women!
The first World Bank cohort to have begun their studies in the new autumn-start academic year had
their graduation ceremony and thesis presentations on August 4, 2015. It was hot outside, typical of
the Japanese summer. And inside the hall, the lively presentations by this all-woman cohort from
Africa and Asia “heated up” the audience.
The students were honored to have congratulatory speeches by Professor Yukihiko Ishiyama, Chair of
the Department of Economics, and Mr Masamichi Sudo, Chief Senior Examiner, Tokyo Regional
Taxation Bureau. Following the presentations and ceremony, everyone enjoyed the reception.
Professor Taro Akiyama, Dean of the Graduate School of International Social Sciences, and Mr Koichi
Omori, Communications Officer, The World Bank Tokyo Office, praised the efforts of the students
during their studies at YNU and urged them to apply the knowledge and skills they acquired in Japan
to their careers in their home countries.
Prof. Yuichi Hasebe (YNU President), Niswatil Mouna, Cresncia Gapare
Meilin Lee Hirang, Harriet Kemigabo, Koichi Omori, World Bank Tokyo Office
Prof Parsons and Prof Uemura with the happy graduates
List of the 2015 PPT graduates and their thesis titles
Joint Japan/World Bank Scholarship Graduates:
Cresncia Gapare from Zimbabwe, “In the Southern Africa Development Community”
Niswatil Mouna from Indonesia, “The Pattern of Economic Growth in Indonesia in Comparison with
Malaysia and Thailand: A Deviation from Proportional Growth Analysis”
Harriet Kemigabo from Uganda, “Assessing the Impact of Double Taxation Treaties on Uganda’s Foreign
Direct Investment (FDI)
Meilin Lee Hirang from Philippines, “Electronic Commerce: The Emerging Challenges on the VAT Regime
in the Philippines”
MPE - PPT NEWSLETTER
PAGE 5
Welcome to new WB and ILP students!
We’re pleased to welcome five new World Bank Scholarship students to Yokohama National University.
The new cohort of four men and one woman come from Cambodia, Indonesia, Mongolia and
Zimbabwe. The Indonesian Linkage Program (ILP) has started again after a break of one year and
we’re pleased to welcome a student each from both Gadjah Mada University and University of
Indonesia.
JJ/World Bank Scholarship students
Mr. Arief Syahriza, Indonesia, Staff at Subdirectorate of Taxpayers Compliance and Monitoring,
Directorate of Tax Potential, Compliance and Revenue
Mr. Sangvat Sokha, Cambodia, Tax Auditor, Enterprise Audit Department, General Department of
Taxation, Phnom Penh City, Cambodia
Mr. Japhet Chiradza, Zimbabwe, Revenue Officer, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe
Mr. Fakhri Ahadi, Indonesia, Business Process Analyst, Directorate of Business Process Transformation,
Jakarta, Indonesia
Ms Munkhtuul Lkhagvasuren, Mongolia, Expert and Tax Inspector in legal division, General Department
of Taxation, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Indonesian Linkage Program (ILP) students
University of Indonesia:
Ms. Nia Aminiah, Government Officer, Statistics Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
Gadjah Mada University:
Mr. Frans Indiarto, Staff, Yogyakarta City Government
ILP Frans Indiarto and Nia Aminiah, Prof Yamazaki, Arief Syahriza, Sangvat Sokha, Japhet Chiradza,
Munkhtuul Lkhagvasuren, Prof Parsons, Fakhri Ahadi
MPE - PPT NEWSLETTER
PAGE 6
Congratulations to Endy Harmoko, Indonesia, Cohort 16 on
his marriage to Ochid on August 8, 2015.
Alumni News
UPDATES:
Bhishma Kumar Bhusal, Nepal, Cohort 9 (2007-2009) received a PhD in Economics (Business
Competitiveness and Economic Development) from the University of Duesto, Spain. Congratulations
on graduating "Sobresaliente cum laude" (Summa Cum Laude)!
Ma. Judy Regalario, Philippines, Cohort 3 (2000-2002) opened her own tax consultancy office last
year (2014). She specializes in the field of taxation and also gives lectures on all tax matters. She writes,
“although I am no longer connected with the Bureau of Internal Revenue, I am glad I still get to
practice and lecture on the topic that I enjoy the most – Tax!” Atty. Ma. Judy C. Regalario, CPA,
MJCR Tax Consultancy, Philippines
CONGRATULATIONS on New Additions to the PPT families!
Rinzin Wangmo, Bhutan,
Cohort 12 Tsezeen Lhamo Dorji,
Rinzin’s second daughter, was
born on February 23, 2015.
Diana Kassem, Colombia,
Cohort 8: Sebastian (nickname
Md. Mahbubur Rahman,
Bangladesh, Cohort 13:
Manzuma binte Mahbub
(“Manzar amar Princess”),
Mahbubur’s daughter and
second child, was born on July
23, 2015.
Ferry, Indonesia, Cohort 13:
“Tian”) was born on September
25, 2015. This is Diana’s second
son. Older brother Nicholas, who
was born in Japan, is now 6.
Liz Abigail, Ferry’s first child, was
born on October 29, 2015
Contact
2015-2016 PPT Committee Members
Professor Craig Parsons, Director
Professor Keiichi Yamazaki
Professor Hiroyasu Uemura
Professor Tsunao Okumura
Professor Junichi Okabe
Associate Professor Ayako Kondo
Assistant Professor Keiko Ishiwata
MPE – PPT NEWSLETTER
Publisher:
MPE Office
Graduate School of International Social Sciences
Yokohama National University
79-3 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku,
Yokohama JAPAN 240-8501
Director: Professor Craig Parsons
Editor: Joanna Chinen
Email: [email protected]
URL: http://www.economics.ynu.ac.jp/ppt/