Japanese IMF Official in Dilemma over Concept of `Asia Monetary Fund'

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The controversy over the creation of an ``Asian Monetary Fund (AMF)'' once more reared its head during a seminar last week led by Kunio Saito of Japan, a director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Saito, a senior official in charge of the entire Asia-Pacific region and head of IMF Japan, had a tough time grappling with a question on the rationale for the creation the AMF during an IMF media seminar in Singapore.

``What are your views, both official and personal, toward a call from the Japanese government for a new Asian model similar to the IMF?,'' one of the participants from Korea asked.

``Well... first of all... I am not sure if IMF officials can have any personal view other than the official position. …