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In 1966, preparations for the opening of the new bank in Manila were intensively worked on and the election of the president was at the top of the agenda. Japanese Prime Minister Eisaku Sata has asked Watanabe to run. Although he initially refused, the pressure came from other countries and Watanabe agreed. In the absence of other candidates, Watanabe was elected the first President of the Asian Development Bank at its constituent session on 24 November 1966. The ADB offers “hard” loans on commercial terms mainly to middle-income countries in Asia and “soft” loans to poorer countries in the region, with lower interest rates. On the basis of a new policy, both types of loans will be obtained from January 2017 from the Bank`s regular capital resources (OCRs), which acts as a general operating fund. [31] The ADB has been closely modelled at the World Bank and has a similar weighted voting system in which votes are distributed in proportion to membership subscriptions. ADB publishes an annual report summarizing its operations, budget and other documents that will be submitted to the public for review. [7] The ADB-Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP) welcomes approximately 300 students each year to academic institutions in 10 countries in the region. At the end of their studies, scientists should contribute to the economic and social development of their country of origin. [8] ADB is an official observer of the United Nations. [9] In the 1970s, afDB assistance to developing countries in Asia expanded to education and health, followed by infrastructure and industry. The gradual emergence of Asian economies in the second half of the decade stimulated demand for improved infrastructure to support economic growth.
The ADB has focused on improving roads and providing electricity. When the world suffered its first shock on oil prices, the ADB relocated much of its aid to support energy projects, particularly those that promoted the development of indigenous energy sources in the Member States. [18] The idea came up again in 1962, when Kaoru Ohashi, an economist at a research institute in Tokyo, visited Takeshi Watanabe, then a private financial advisor in Tokyo, and proposed a task force for the creation of a development bank for Asia. The group met regularly in 1963, examined different scenarios for the creation of a new institution, and drew on Watanabe`s experience with the World Bank. However, the idea was coldly welcomed by the World Bank itself and the task force was discouraged. The Bank has been criticized for its role and relevance in the food crisis.