Investment Climate

Investment climate refers to economic and financial conditions in a country that affect whether individuals, banks and institutions are willing to lend money and acquire a stake in the businesses operating there. Investment climate is affected by many factors, including: poverty, crime, infrastructure, workforce, national security, political instability, regime uncertainty, taxes, rule of law, property rights, government regulations, government transparency and government accountability.

An unfavorable investment climate is one of the many hindrances faced by underdeveloped nations. Regulatory reform is often a key component of removing the barriers to investment. A number of nonprofit organizations have been established for the purpose of improving the investment climate and spurring economic development in these countries. Also, some investors are willing to take on the high level of risk and volatility associated with investing in an unfavorable climate because of the potential that the high risk will be rewarded with high returns.

One difficult aspect of understanding and judging the investment climate of a country or region is that governance is a broad concept that can be practiced effectively in different ways. There are also difference kinds of governance, from political governance (the type of political system, constitutional set-up, relations between state and society), economic governance (state institutions that regulate the economy, competition, property and contract rights) and corporate governance (national and company laws and practices that determine corporate conduct, shareholder rights, disclosure and transparency, accounting standards). To complicate matters, each different type of governance plays off the other, so making judgments on any given investment climate must be done on a case-by-case basis.

For individuals, banks and institutions to feel comfortable investing in a given investment climate, they need to have a reasonable expectation for conditions that will allow their investments to thrive and expand. In places where the state does not provide certain essential public business infrastructure – such as sound regulation, market-supporting laws that are implemented fairly by honest and well-trained judges and a transparent procurement system – the level of required trust in the investment climate cannot be established. In short, the private sector needs an effective, enabling state to function efficiently and fairly.

If the state cannot be trusted to provide that level of assurance, doing business at scale becomes problematic. Clear rules of the game are needed for how the state interacts with the private sector.  There needs to be a level playing field and platforms for constructive dialogue between state agents and private business.