Photo Credit: Loop PNG - Clarence Hoot
According to the Investment Promotion Authority, foreign direct investment into the nation has decreased by around 45 per cent in the last two years (IPA). Investment interest plummeted from over 1,000 in 2019 to roughly 300 in the first quarter of this year, said managing director Clarence Hoot.
“Global FDI (foreign direct investment) outflow has drastically reduced by 45 to 50 per cent,” Hoot said. “(It) means for us that foreign direct investments will have to be more than 10 times or 20 times than what we are currently doing. We have to relook at ourselves, what we have in place, what we want and where we want to be.”
“We have witnessed a decline of 40 to 45 per cent in terms of FDI interest coming to PNG,” Hoot added, speaking from the perspective of a regulator.
“In 2019, the total number of foreign direct investment documents that we received was 1,116. In 2020 that reduced to about 800. And in the first quarter of 2021, it is 300. From IPA perspective, that is a real concern.
“While we appreciate that it may be a direct result of the impacts of the Covid-19, I think we should look beyond the Covid-19. We also have to look at what we have in terms of domestic policies, laws and regulations,” Hoot said.
He also stated that there were indicators that PNG's standing in terms of business-friendly locations has decreased. PNG was ranked 108th out of 190 countries in 2018/2019. It dropped 12 positions to 120/190 in 2019/2020.
Reference:
Mauludu, Shirley. The National (9 June 2021). “Foreign investment drops by 45pc”.
