The Government would be following up on the implementation of the recommendations of the IPR, which related to modernizing the FDI entry regime, strengthening Board of Investment (BOI) core functions and reforming the tax regime on investment.

In particular, the Thai Exim Bank and the Board of Investment have been providing facilities (e.g. information, outward investment missions) to help Thai firms venture abroad.

It was also reported that UNCTAD had carried out an assessment of the investment promotion capacity of the national investment promotion agency (Agence Nationale de Développement de l'Investissement).

The representative of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) focused on the investment climate and the creation of an environment conducive to FDI.

There are limits to outward investment, lack of insurance for outward investment, and exchange rate controls.

Stronger safety net programs might reduce the need for precautionary savings in the future, but such reforms cannot be accomplished overnight.

Investment strategy is simply the long term allocation of monies among the various asset types and investment markets.

Implementing the IPR recommendations could improve Benin's capacity to attract FDI and benefit from FDI by reforming the regulatory and institutional investment framework.

The main factors that motivate firms from the South to invest abroad are similar to those that motivate FDI from developed countries.

See the World Investment Report 2004 for details on the latest trends in foreign direct investment and BPO.

They may induce wasteful investment and a loss in innovation.

(e) Greater reliance on investment income

In the case of China, OFDI approval procedures have been simplified and the Investment Promotion Agency, established under the Ministry of Commerce, provides support in helping Chinese enterprises to invest abroad.

The representative of Afghanistan underscored that institutional reforms to promote predictability and transparency in the investment area had been put in place in his country, and an IPR under an Invest in Peace type of initiative could help his country to pursue reforms and adjustments to attract FDI.

In other words, rather than shifting from investment led to consumer led growth, China appears to be continuing along its investment led growth track.

At least 38 US states now host FDI projects from China, and competition for Chinese investment has intensified as states budgets have contracted.

Most likely, the real constraint lies on the investment side.

The investment process is supervised and approved by the Treasurer.

Its stock of foreign capital will increase steadily as foreign firms invest and reinvest in China.

Two new studies on New developments in African FDI and the World Investment Directory Africa are in preparation.

In Djibouti, the installation of the Investment Gateway, which is an Internet based interactive platform for investment promotion, is under way.

One of the reasons for this is that in most Latin American and Caribbean countries, FDI policies focus on attracting large quantities of FDI and do not pay much attention to the nature of FDI.

The joint high level session of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) with UNCTAD's Commission on Investment, Technology and Related Financial Issues focused on attracting FDI in service clusters.

Examples of the latter could include provisions aimed at enterprise development, OFDI promotion programmes and outbound investment missions in conjunction with investment promotion authorities.

Local currency bond markets could help to develop domestic investor bases and mobilize domestic savings to support long term investments.

It was stressed that the Invest in Peace programme should be extended to other such countries, with the assistance of UNCTAD's IPR programme.

The EIB should expand its lending.

In turn, it affects reinvestment in exploration, development, and maintenance.

Reduced rates of return will lower investment rates.

For example, the Government of China is promoting outward FDI by providing loans on preferential terms, tax rebates and investment insurance.

The Best Investments

Investment costs

Front loaded public investment could be funded through an enhanced European Investment Bank.

Second, investment in real estate development accounts for nearly one quarter of the total.

This agency acts as a one stop shop and as the focal point for investment promotion activities.

There were 11 outstanding requests for IPRs in Africa at the end of March 2005, and an IPR for Rwanda is to be initiated shortly, with IPRs for Morocco and Nigeria in the preparatory phase.

My country is living proof that investing in health is not only the right thing to do, but that it can also create virtuous cycles that promote security and development.

First, local governments influence a large proportion of investment decisions.

The first is the high return on foreign investment in China.

Without such investment, the demand for reactive measures can only increase.

Additionally, there was great competition for FDI, so to be good was not sufficient a country had to be better or even the best to attract FDI.

The request for proposal for the global custodian is in progress

An emphasis on investment shifts the focus of development strategy to the entrepreneurial class and its interaction with the state, including whether and how public investment crowds in private investment.

While the political and macroeconomic stability in Benin were important factors in attracting FDI, the IPR nevertheless highlighted certain weaknesses relating to the investment framework.

The former include the decentralization of FDI promotion, the development of training programmes for staff involved in investment promotion, and initiatives to educate civil society about FDI and its development impact.