Finance ministers 2019

Jakarta's move to double down on Mulyani Indrawati bears fruit yet again as she stays top of the Asian finance minister pile for the third year in a row.

After a relatively smooth year in 2017, the financial secretary of the Philippines proposed drastic reform last year over the way government approves and allocates its budget with an aim to support long-term economic growth.

Singapore's incumbent finance minister works hard to maintain the city's attractiveness as a global financing hub for private equity and infrastructure funds.

Josh Frydenberg is keeping government spending down, but with an election looming, his influence over Australia's economy may be short lived.

Hong Kong calls itself Asia's World City but appears to be heading towards "Another Chinese City", with worries that integration into the regional Greater Bay Area will erode the city's huge financial reserves.

Questions linger over how the interim Indian finance minister intends to raise state income in the long run to support the massive increase in government expenditure.

Taking the job at one of the most turbulent times in global economy, China's finance minister is trying with his best effort to maintain a steady, positive development of the economy.

South Korea's Hong Nam-Ki takes the eighth place in FinanceAsia's annual Asia-Pacific finance minister rankings, but he has got time to turn things around.

Malaysia's finance minister is yet to demonstrate how he intends to restore a country devastated by a prolonged corruption and bribery scandal at the top level.

Political risk in Thailand this year is growing. The finance minister is unlikely to deliver a clear strategy on finance policies and regulations until the storm is over.