Kathmandu, February 29:

Nepal suffered net foreign direct investment (FDI) outflows during the fiscal year 2006, according to the newest edition of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) South Asia Economic Report.

India is by far the leading host country for FDI in South Asia. It received around $19.4 billion in the fiscal year 2006 or about 79.9 per cent of total regional FDI. India’s dominance is, in large part, due to the size of its economy. However, India’s policy reforms geared toward liberalisation also played an important part.

Other countries in the region that also fared well in attracting more FDI were Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with FDI growth of 136.5 per cent and 92.7 per cent, respectively.

“Pakistan, the second largest economy in the region, has great potential to further improve FDI inflows and FDI will play an important role in Afghanistan’s economic growth,” said Juan Miranda, director general, ADB Central and West Asia Department.

South Asia could become one of the more attractive FDI destinations in developing Asia, but the region will have to improve its business climate and build investor confidence to reach its full potential, according to the report.

In South Asia, FDI has been increasing rapidly since 2004. In fiscal 2006 alone, FDI inflows reached a high of $24.3 billion, a 132.9 per cent increase from 2005 and the highest FDI growth rate in recent years.

This is in sharp contrast to the dismal FDI performance in the region during the early 2000s.

Liberalisation policies, increasing private sector participation and regional trade agreements have resulted in improved FDI inflows to South Asia. However, the level of FDI inflow into South Asia is still low compared with other Asian sub-regions due to poor infrastructure, restrictive labour policies, weak regulatory systems, and rampant corruption.

“Increased foreign investments in South Asia would promote further regional integration and globalisation,” Kunio Senga, director general, ADB South Asia Department, said, adding that FDI has the potential to provide great business opportunities to foreign companies while helping develop domestic economies.

At the country level, macroeconomic and political stability, appropriate regulatory policies and infrastructure development are needed to increase FDI, according to the report, the third in a series of biannual reports on economic and development issues in South Asia.

Regionally, harmonised cross-border regulations, including a unified customs system, would facilitate the flow of people and goods and make investing in the region more attractive.

In developing Asia, inflows of FDI, or the foreign acquisition of at least 10 per cent of a firm’s assets, have risen tremendously, largely due to the liberalisation of investment policies and the lowering or removal of capital controls and other investment barriers.

The major source countries of FDI in South Asia are predominantly in developed regions – North America and Western Europe. But other important FDI sources are East Asia and the Middle East.

ADB endorses EITI

MANILA: ADB has endorsed Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), which encourages governments to disclose their revenues, as well as companies to publicise their payments from oil, gas, and mining to promote transparency and fight corruption. EITI is a global initiative to strengthen governance by improving transparency and accountability in the extractives sector. It is supported by a diverse group of stakeholders including 24 countries, international organisations, many of the world’s largest oil and mining companies and civil society groups, states a press release. It was launched in 2002 by the premier of the UK.

By endorsing EITI, ADB will encourage its developing member countries to adopt the principles of the initiative. — HNS