OECD Efforts in Investment Promotion and Facilitation

Attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) is a key priority for many countries seeking to boost their economic growth and development. The OECD is committed to supporting its member countries in their efforts to promote and facilitate investment. In this context, the OECD has undertaken a number of initiatives to improve investment policies and practices.

Key Initiatives:

1. Investment Policy Reviews: The OECD conducts Investment Policy Reviews of member and non-member countries to assess their investment policies and practices. These reviews provide recommendations on how to improve investment frameworks and attract more FDI.
2. Policy Framework for Investment: The OECD Policy Framework for Investment provides a comprehensive set of principles and guidelines for investment policies. The framework covers areas such as investment promotion and facilitation, investment liberalization, and investment protection.
3. Investment Facilitation: The OECD is working to improve investment facilitation, which refers to the process of assisting investors with the procedures and requirements needed to establish and operate a business. The OECD has developed a set of principles for investment facilitation, which provide guidance on best practices in this area.
4. Investment Promotion: The OECD is also working to improve investment promotion, which refers to the activities that countries undertake to attract and retain FDI. The OECD has developed a set of guidelines for investment promotion, which provide guidance on best practices in this area.

Challenges and Solutions:

1. Policy coherence: Policies across different government departments and agencies can sometimes be incoherent or contradictory, which can discourage investment. The OECD recommends that countries work to ensure policy coherence in their investment frameworks.
2. Investment protection: Investors need to feel secure that their investments will be protected. The OECD recommends that countries provide adequate investment protection through international investment agreements and domestic legislation.
3. Investment facilitation: Investment facilitation can be hindered by cumbersome procedures and bureaucratic requirements. The OECD recommends that countries streamline their investment facilitation procedures to make them more efficient and transparent.
4. Investment promotion: Investment promotion efforts can sometimes be unfocused or poorly targeted. The OECD recommends that countries develop a clear investment promotion strategy and tailor their efforts to the needs of specific investors.

The OECD is committed to supporting its member countries in their efforts to promote and facilitate investment. Key initiatives include Investment Policy Reviews, the Policy Framework for Investment, investment facilitation principles, and investment promotion guidelines. Challenges to improving investment policies and practices include policy coherence, investment protection, investment facilitation, and investment promotion. By implementing solutions to these challenges, countries can improve their investment frameworks and attract more FDI, thereby promoting their economic development.