Jeremias N. Paul Jr

Jeremias N. Paul Jr

Coordinator of the Tobacco Control Economics Unit, Prevention of Noncommmunicable Diseases Department the World Health Organization

Jeremias N. Paul, Jr. is currently Coordinator of the Tobacco Control Economics Unit, Prevention of Noncommmunicable Diseases Department (PND) of the World Health Organization (WHO). Before WHO, he was Undersecretary (Vice Minister level) of the Domestic Finance Group of the Department of Finance (DOF) in the Philippines where he spearheaded government initiatives to reform the country’s fiscal and tax systems. These included the “Sin Tax Reform” law that restructured the Philippine excise tax system for alcohol and tobacco products. During the first three years of its implementation, the Sin Tax Law generated US$3.9 billion in incremental revenues, the bulk of which is accounted for by tobacco taxes.
 
He has held various positions in the DOF since 1990 and has practically done the rounds of all the groups within the department, including as Assistant Secretary of the International Finance Group, where he was in charge of international finance relations, and as Undersecretary of the Corporate Affairs Group overseeing the financial performance of the government corporate sector.  
 
In 2005-2006, he served as Alternate Executive Director of the World Bank Group in Washington D.C. and spearheaded governance reforms in the Intergovernmental Group of 24 (G24) when the Philippines was Chair. 
 
Mr. Paul holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs (Major in Economic Policy Management) from Columbia University in New York, as well as a Master of Science degree in Industrial Economics and a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from top universities in the Philippines.