The Global Investment Competitiveness Report 2019/2020 comes at a critical time—a period of economic uncertainty marked by the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19), a challenging global policy environment for investment and trade, rising protectionism, and shifting trade and investment preferences. These forces are changing the patterns of international production and corporate decision-making, creating both opportunities and risks for foreign investment. The report finds that rising policy uncertainty is darkening the outlook for foreign direct investment. Unfortunately, these negative effects will only be exacerbated by the economic challenges and policy uncertainty brought by the spread of the virus.
Considering the difficult global environment, this report focuses on what the governments of developing countries can do to enhance investor confidence, maximize investments’ contributions to inclusive growth, and foster the investment competitiveness of their economies. It delivers novel analytical insights, fresh empirical evidence, and actionable recommendations for governments eager to raise investor confidence in times of uncertainty.
The full report, as well as related materials, are available at: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/33808