Global Investment Promotion Best Practices 2012 : Seizing the Potential for Better Investment Facilitation in the MENA Region
The drop in foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region over the past three to four years stems in part from the aftermath of the recent global economic crisis, and in part from the uncertainties created...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank Group, Washington, DC
2014
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/02/17647714/global-investment-promotion-best-practices-2012-seizing-potential-better-investment-facilitation-mena-region http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16611 |
| Summary: | The drop in foreign direct investment
(FDI) flows to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
region over the past three to four years stems in part from
the aftermath of the recent global economic crisis, and in
part from the uncertainties created by the political and
social changes in the region that have characterized the
so-called Arab Spring. However, the medium-term outlook may
be more positive as greater governmental transparency and
less cumbersome business environments are expected to foster
FDI, stimulate entrepreneurship, and create jobs. The Global
Investment Promotion Best Practices (GIPB) 2012 report
presents well-timed and useful insights into the capacities
of IPIs to perform their investment facilitation function.
Thus a careful analysis of GIPB findings can be important in
helping MENA Investment Promotion Intermediary's (IPIs)
introduce targeted improvements that will enable them to
increase FDI flows into the region. The GIPB 2012 assessment
also detected a number of procedural hitches, such as
difficulty in contacting an IPI or a relevant project
manager in spite of repeated attempts, failure to provide
acknowledgment of inquiry receipt, and problems locating
investor e-mails. Following the recent upheavals experienced
in the region, MENA IPIs should take full advantage of the
outstanding opportunities offered by online and offline
communication tools to mitigate investors' risk
perceptions and influence their decisions through the
provision of accurate and up-to-date information on the
investment location. For the purpose of this report, the
analysis of GIPB data has been complemented with qualitative
and quantitative information collected through a survey of
MENA IPI institutional and operational characteristics,
including a number of in-depth telephone interviews with
selected IPIs across the region. |
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