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Aradhna Aggarwal
Aradhna Aggarwal
Aradhna aggarwal Associate Professor, University of Delhi Consultant , ICRIER March 28-29, 2007
Objectives
The objectives of the study are to examine emerging trends in regional cooperation in South Asia and analyse, in that context, the magnitude of intra and inter (extra)-regional FDI flows, the main source countries and the major sectors that have attracted FDI in the region;
the future prospects of FDI flows to the region; and challenges faced by these countries in increasing their attractiveness to foreign investors.
The Presentation
Background and scope of the study (Evolution of Regionalism) Regional Integration and FDI : A Theoretical Approach Regional Cooperation in South Asia Investment Flows in South Asia: The Current Status Prospects for FDI in South Asia : The Role of Regionalism Challenges Conclusions
Evolution of Regionalism
A proliferation of formal economic cooperation and economic arrangements aimed at facilitating and enhancing economic integration at the regional level. It is referred to as regionalism The most. prominent form of regionalism remains the regional trade agreement (RTA). In 1990, : only about 40 agreements in force Feb. 2005 : 260 RTAs had been notified to the GATT/WTO of which over 170 RTAs were in force Traditionally, RTAs aim at stimulating trade and cover only trade barriers( Old regionalism) Now RTAs are more comprehensive. Three components of RTAs. The need to attract investment is increasingly cited as an impetus to RTAs. ( New regionalism) Regionalism also takes the form of International investment agreements : BITs, DTTs and PTIAs Most studies however focus only on trade effects of regionalism. Emerging literature. This study examines investment flows in the SAARC region comprising south Asian countries.
Regional integration can at best be described as shallow, representing old regionalism. Does not rule out the possibility of I effects.
However, the increase in investment may be distributed highly unevenly. Investment is expected to cluster to those members of RTAs where locational advantages are favourable.
Contd
Effects of Investment provisions: The lowering of investment barriers may promote intra-regional FDI, offsetting the negative trade effects of RTAs. Effects of other forms of cooperation: favourable Dynamic effects: RTAs may increase the attractiveness of the region by promoting economic growth and intensifying competition among member countries for attracting investment. The presence of FDI may catalyze the growth of the economy and contribute further to the growth of FDI . FDI by some countries in a country motivate the others to enter the country. The herding effect may also have favourable impact on overall investment. Overall effects : The overall effects are more likely to be positive. Empirically, there seems to be a general agreement that RTAs generate FDI stimulating effects but the degree of success varies across RTAs.
Net inflows of FDI into SAARC countries in selected years : 19802005 ( less than 1% of world FDI inflows over 2001-05
1990-2000 Bangladesh Bhutan India Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka Maldives South Asia Asia Developing countries World 190 (2.5) 2 (0.1) 1705(3.0) 11(0.6) 463 (7.2) 159 (5.6) 9 (7.6) 2539(2.3) 76616(8.0) 134670(8.9) 495391(7.6)
2003 350 (2.9) 1.06 (0.3) 4585(3.4) 14.78(1.3) 534 (4.2) 228.72(5.7) 14(7.2) 5727.56(3.5) 110489(7.7) 175138(9.3) 557869(7.3)
2004 460.43 (3.4) 1 (0.1) 5474(3.1) .. 1118(7.5) 233 (4.7) 15(5.4) 7301.43(3.4) 157328(9.4) 275032(10.7) 710755(7.7)
2005 692 (4.9) 1 (0.2) 6598(3.5) 5 (0.4) 2183(13.0) 272 (5.2) 14(4.8) 9765 (4.3) 199951(11.1) 334285(12.8) 916277(9.4)
Note : Parentheses show the ratio of FDI to gross capital formation Source : UNCTAD 2006
Table 4: Share of Individual Countries in SAARC FDI Inflows in Selected Years ( 1990-2005)
1990-2000 Share in South Asias FDI inflows : Bangladesh 7.48 Bhutan India Nepal 0.43 Pakistan Sri Lanka Maldives Share of South Asia in: Asia Developing countries 1.89 World 0.51 3.31 18.24 6.26 0.35 0.08 67.15
2003
2004
2005
India US EU UK Netherlands Germany Norway Japan UAE Mauritius Singapore South Korea Hong kong Vir. islands China India 114 Total investing countries 35.6 1.8 7.5 11.4 22.7 7.0 5.9
13.9
26.59
1.25
1.73 3.71
12.1
16.5 9.13 4.92 4.49 10.52 40.71 30 35 (excl. unspecified countries) 50 NA 11.5 10
able 9 : Share of top 5 investors in South Asia since 2002 ( No. of projects)
Sri Lanka India US UK Germany Japan France Malaysia China UAE Total 54 3 (4%) 12(9%) 18(13%) 1500 51 3051 19 (40%) 8 (17%) 3(6%) 2(6%) 9(6%) Pakistan 9 (6%) 26(18%) Bangladesh 14 (27%) 8 (16%) 4 (8%) 7 (14%) 1267 (46%) 300(11%) 195(7%) 142 (5%) 102(4%) India
Intra-Regional Investment
In Pakistan: Indian companies are allowed to invest in Pakistan recently. TCS, Dabur, VSNL, Reliance are some of the companies taking initiatives. Indian investment is into : Bangladesh: India I : Services, Chemicals and Fabricated metals and light eng. While Pakistan Co. invested in non metallic sector and food and beverages. Nepal : Indian joint ventures are in practically every sector, including tourism, infrastructure, consumer durables & non-durables and export oriented industries like garments and carpets. A number of Indian companies, including Dabur, Hindustan Lever, Colgate, etc., have established their manufacturing base in Nepal Sri Lanka: The principal sectors which have attracted Indian investment are steel, cement, rubber products, tourism, computer software, IT-training and other professional services. During the past three years, leading Indian companies such as Gujarat Ambuja, Asian Paints and Larsen and Toubro have committed substantial investments, while existing companies -CEAT and Taj Hotels, for example -have expanded their operations . Of the total equity invested by Indian companies in regional joint ventures, 54% are located in Sri Lanka. There is huge potential not only for large companies but also for SMEs if investment is facilitated within the region.
Future Prospects
Macro dynamism : High growth prospects,Industrial dynamism and emergence of the service sector Regional cooperation : SAFTA replaced SAPA, New RTAs proposed. Multilateral liberalisation
India
Bangladesh
Nepal
Pakistan
Sri L a n k a
Bhutan
Maldives
Total
296 60 143.8
42 7.3 24.6
89 23.48 18.9
Median Age (yrs) Population growth rate 2004-20 GDP growth rate Export Imports
24.4 1.3
21.5 1.6
19.9 1.8
19.4 2.1
29.1 1
20.2 2.1
17.5 2.7
21.7 1.8
8.1 25 34.4
7.6 14.7 30
7 39.3 28.8
9 17 24
There is general pessimism regarding the effects of SAFTA on trade and investment. Many argue that intra-regional trade a small fraction (4.5%) of total trade of the region even after considerable liberalisation (The intra-EU trade is 55 percent, intraNAFTA trade stands at 61 percent and intra-ASEAN trade is 25 percent of its total trade) because these countries share some basic similarities which reduce the potential for comparative advantage driven trade. These similarities will discourage trade generated FDI effects as well. But the problem in SAARC region seems to be more political than economic . Taneja shows that there has been a considerable amount of "informal" trade among member countries of the region. This was not only to evade the high tariffs that must be paid on official trade, but also to carry out some trade that would not have been permitted at all. Mohanty identifies more than 1500 products as potential items for trade in the region and the region is capable of absorbing them. Yet the trade flows remain low.
Are the prospects insignificant due to similarities in the structure of the economies
Rank Competitiveness index
rank
innovativ en ess
efficiency enhancers
Innovativ en ess
PCY
43 79 91 99 110 30.5
60 80 93 96 106 21.5
26 67 60 104 111
54.0
36.6
Composition of Export baskets of South Asian Countries at two digit level: 2004
India Textiles Stone Chemicals 21.5 17.2 10.6 Nepal Textiles metals Fats Oils and 50.6 10.2 9.3 Pakistan Textiles Vegetab les Leather 68.9 7.3 5.8 Sri Lanka Textiles Vegetables Plastic 86 17 6.5 Bangladesh Textile s Anima l Leathe r 85.8 5.6 3 Maldives Anima l Textile s Foodst uff 55.4 32 12.3
3 2.8 2.8
4.7 3.2 3
This implies
that countries vary widely in the quality and capacity of their scientific and technical infrastructures and business sophistication. They are pursuing similar macro economic policies but are differentiated in terms of sophistication of economic activities and innovativeness. This in turn means that there are possibilities of vertically integrated intra regional FDI. Theoretically, vertical FDI can also occur in South-South RTAs if there are sufficiently large differences between the members in incomes and other determinants of factor prices. Since domestic market seeking I is negligible, replacement effect is almost nil. India-Sri Lanka FTA and Investment
Bhutan
Maldives
Total
8.5
5.4
7.8
5.3
Population
1049.5
143.8
24.6
149.9
18.9
2.2
.339
1470
1.3
1.6
1.8
2.1
1.0
Inclusion of Services
Rapid expansion of services in all these economies. While Pakistan and Sri Lanka have advantages in transport and tourism, Maldives has advantage in Travel and tourism. India has advantage in IT and IT enabled services. Thus there is a scope for regional cooperation and FDI in services. Most services are non tradables and require commercial presence of the service providers. Inclusion of services therefore is expected to promote FDI in services. Inclusion of services in RTAs will also facilitate the cross border movement of people. A substantial portion of Indian FDI in neighbouring countries has been in the service sector .
Multilateral liberalisation
Economic Reforms since 1990s. FDI: Pre-entry policy space in all the countries but post entry national treatment. Wall Street index of barriers in 2000 for South was 3 on the scale of 1-5 which was the same as the raking for other developing countries. Since then, the FDI regimes have further liberalised. Of all the South Asian Countries, Pakistan follows the most liberal FDI policies followed by Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bhutan in that order.
Priority sectors
These are emerging economies. The process of industrial diversification is at different stages in different countries. Thus there are several sectors which are identified as priority sectors and where FDI can be promoted. Bhutan : Agro Based processing, finance, Travel and tourism, hydro electrical power, IT Nepal : travel and tourism, Hotels and restaurants, IT. Keen on investment in infrastructure, hydropower and roads. Pakistan : Financial, IT, Gas and oil explorations, trade construction and power. Bangladesh: Textile, services, agro based, chemicals, glass& ceramic India : Infrastructure, Power, telecommunication, Engineering, services (IT), electronics and electrical equipment and computers. Sri Lanka : Textiles, Pharmaceuticals, Auto, Software, Gems and Jewellery, light engineering, electronics.
Requirement of less advanced technologies/ more labour intensive technologies, cultural affinity may be vital in determining FDI flows.
Challenges
The major challenge is to improve investment climate in the region. This will promote not only intra-regional I but also inter-regional I. Further, intra regional I will itself result into investment from outsiders due to herding effects and efficiency effects. The following bottlenecks need to be addressed Political factors:
Political mistrust Psyche to look to the west Administrative barriers Complex trade and custom rules Corruption Poor trade and production infrastructure Poor connectivity between countries
Domestic barriers:
4.91 2.82
7.25 5.4
51.86 45.13
1.81 1.04
33.59 44.79
1.82 1.57
2.75
10.39
40.11
1.52
6.83
2.94
3.52
9.94
50.87
2.72
40.09
1.3
Infrastructure
No.
12.02
7.04
2.39
1.86
9.32
7.4
11.65
10.33
26.49
14.91
3.26
9.06
37.47
43.84
44.27
4.69
34.54
51.46
Trade Rules
Average export clearance time Longest export clear time Average time to claim imports from customs Longest time to claim imports from customs
3.71
5.98
4.89
8.98
2.91
5.4
3.51
25
4.79
9.16
7.22
14.72
5.14
9.43
10.3
21.29
Legal system
Confidence level in the legal system
65.83
8.66
56.63
55.18
12.59
30.92
55.48
7.66
78.06
66.63
31.59
76.94
OECD
73.6
14.82
60.49
South Asia
53.72
12.29
93.06
Sub-Saharan Africa
60.42
10.33
83.43
Other factors
Political instability, Law and order, Visa rules, trade unionism (affiliation with political parties)