James Villafuerte
Regional Lead Economist, Asian Development Bank

James Villafuerte heads the ASEAN Policy Network and conducts research on a range of economic and policy issues, including economic surveillance, international trade and global value chain, technology and digitalization, and infrastructure financing. He was also a Team Leader of ADB's Asia Regional Integration Center. Prior to joining ADB, he was a senior economist at the Department of Treasury and Finance in Victoria, Australia; and an economist at the World Bank Office in Manila. He is assigned to the Southeast Asia Department.

Policy Brief

In the digital economy, central bankers and regulators face the challenge of ensuring consumer safety and financial stability while promoting innovation in the financial sector.