China will move forward with SOE reform

Subject SOE reform in China. Significance Recent announcements by senior figures give indications of state-sector reforms planned for 2016 and beyond. These break new ground in the range of industries affected, the degree of reform and the extent to which state-dominated markets are opened to private and foreign capital. In 2004, there were 196 central state-owned enterprises (SOEs); now there are only 111; the target is to reduce this to around 50. Impacts The focus of reform in 2016 will be heavy industry, where 70% of SOEs are concentrated. Integration of central SOEs in infrastructure and energy will create more formidable competitors to established multinationals. Some SOE-monopolised markets will open to private and foreign investment, including telecommunications and finance. SOE reform will expose corruption; anti-corruption operations will accompany it.

Subject E-commerce in India. Significance Following nationwide protests from small traders in late 2014, key sections of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government have demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi act against India's rapidly growing e-commerce platforms. Particular targets are the largest e-commerce players, mostly Indian, but including Amazon India, which have benefitted from large infusions of foreign capital and stand accused of side-stepping India's strict limits on foreign investment in multi-brand retail. Impacts Any improvement in transport and distribution infrastructure will boost e-commerce. Proliferation of mobile and banking facilities is key to expanding online retail. Small traders will oppose the expansion of e-commerce, causing greater political losses for the BJP than any other party.


Significance FDI reached USD40bn in April-September 2020, a 13% rise compared with the corresponding period in 2019. FPI totalled nearly USD23bn in 2020, up 58% from 2019. Impacts Privatisation of several state-owned enterprises will help attract more foreign capital in the long term. The trade deficit will decrease as the government increasingly promotes self-reliance and moves to reduce Chinese imports. India-China business relations will worsen as border tensions between the strategic rivals endure.


Significance Although President Cyril Ramaphosa has publicly committed to increase funding to combat what he calls South Africa’s “second pandemic”, there is a lack of transparency in how the government disburses funds linked to its National Strategic Plan (NSP) on Gender-based Violence and Femicide. Impacts Civil society groups will increase pressure on the government to make expenditure on GBV programmes more transparent. A new private-sector fund to contribute to the NSP has received strong early support, but its management structure is opaque. High levels of GBV will not only have significant humanitarian and social costs but may deter much-needed foreign investment.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Van Ha ◽  
Mark J. Holmes ◽  
Gazi Hassan

PurposeThis study focuses on the linkages between foreign direct investment and the research and development (R&D) and innovation activity of domestic enterprises in Vietnam.Design/methodology/approachThe Heckman selection model approach is applied to a panel dataset of nearly 7,000 Vietnamese firms for the 2011–2015 study period to investigate the impact of foreign presence on the R&D of local firms through horizontal and vertical linkages. Probit model estimation is employed to examine how foreign investment influences the innovation activity of local companies.FindingsWhile there are a small number of firms carrying out R&D activities in Vietnam, foreign or joint domestic–foreign venture firms are less inclined than domestic firms to undertake R&D. Domestic factors that include capital, labor quality, location and export status of firm have a significant effect on the decision of domestic firms to participate in R&D activity. Only forward linkages and the gross firm output are found to have an impact on the R&D intensity of domestic enterprises, while other factors appear to have no significant influence on how much firms spend on R&D activities.Practical implicationsIn order to promote the R&D activity of domestic firms, policy should focus on (1) the backward linkages between local firms in downstream sectors with their foreign suppliers in upstream sectors, and (2) the internal factors such as labor, capital or location that affect the decisions made by domestic firms.Originality/valueGiven that foreign investment may affect R&D and innovation activity of local firms in host countries, the impact is relatively unexplored for many emerging economies and not so in the case of Vietnam. The availability of a unique survey on Vietnamese firm technology and competitiveness provides the opportunity to address this gap in the literature.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Atif Awad

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the long-run impact of selected foreign capital inflows, including aid, remittances, foreign direct investment (FDI), trade and debt, on the economic growth of 21 low-income countries in the Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) region, during the period 1990–2018. Design/methodology/approach To obtain this objective and for robust analysis, a parametric approach, which was dynamic ordinary least squares, and a non-parametric technique, which was fully modified ordinary least squares, were used. Findings The results of both models confirmed that, in the long run, trade and aid affected the growth rate of the per capita income in these countries in a positive way. However, external debt seemed to have an adverse influence on such growth. Originality/value First, this is the initial study that has addressed this matter across a homogenous group of countries in the SSA region. Second, while most of the previous studies regarding capital inflows into the SSA region have focused on the impact of only one or two aspects of such foreign capital inflows on growth, the present study, instead, examined the impact of five types of foreign capital inflows (aid, remittances, FDI, trade and debt).


Significance The closing of internal and external borders in response to COVID-19 has heightened a longstanding skills deficit in key industries, with implications for wage levels, prices and broader economic growth. However, a general increase in immigrant numbers may not provide the skills that are needed. Impacts Labour shortfalls may delay government infrastructure projects that were designed to lead the post-pandemic economic recovery. Foreign investment may be affected by skills shortages in key areas such as mining and metallurgy. Debate on immigration levels could influence voting in the general election that is now likely to be held in April.


Significance A 2018 peace agreement was meant to provide space for economic reform and recovery, but it has failed to deliver this. Moreover, the outlook for improvement remains poor. Impacts Many South Sudanese will remain reliant on international organisations to provide basic services. Corruption and mismanagement will deter foreign investment, including in the oil sector, the main source of government revenue. Despite a formal end to the conflict, persistent insecurity and the risk of further unrest will constrain the recovery.


Significance The government hopes greater domestic and foreign investment can help turn around the pandemic-hit economy. The governor of Bank Indonesia (BI), the central bank, last week said GDP should grow by 4.6% in 2021, compared with last year’s 2.1% contraction. Impacts Indonesia will count on private vaccination, whereby companies buy state-procured jabs for their staff, to help speed up its roll-out. The Indonesia Investment Authority, a new sovereign wealth fund, will prioritise attracting more investment into the infrastructure sector. Singapore will continue to be Indonesia’s largest source of FDI in the short term.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 64
Author(s):  
Mark Van de Water

This contribution discusses the development of private foreign investment in late colonial Indonesia. The increase in numbers of individual firms, their expanding volume and accumulation of investment in the Netherlands Indies are shown. The focus is on the years 1910-1940 and on Dutch foreign investment, although investment by other countries is touched upon in passing. The data used for this article originate from a database compiled from the Handboek voor cultuuren handelsondernemingen in Nederlandsch-Indië (Handbook for cultivation and trading companies in the Netherlands Indies) and will also be incorporated into my PhD dissertation entitled ‘Foreign investment and colonial economic growth in Indonesia’, which forms part of the larger research project ‘Foreign capital and colonial development in Indonesia’.


1998 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-46
Author(s):  
Tarun Das

Liberalization of foreign investment policy is a central component of India's economic reforms. While the need for foreign capital is hardly disputed⁄ there has been a continuing debate on the scope, coverage⁄ and impact of a liberalized foreign investment policy. In this paper⁄ Tarun Das argues that the debate on foreign investment policy lacks perspective and there seems to be very little appreciation of the emerging compulsions of the new international economic order. India's foreign investment policy has certainly become broadbased in recent years⁄ but it is still far from complete and further liberalization of foreign investment policy appears ⁄ inevitable in view of the pressures as well as obligations associated with the future global scenario.


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