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Partners or Creditors? Attracting Foreign Investment and Productive Development to Central America and Dominican Republic

Author

Listed:
  • Manzano, Osmel
  • Auguste, Sebastián
  • Alfaro, Laura
  • Artana, Daniel
  • Taylhardat, Adolfo
  • Cuevas, Mario
  • Porto, Luis

Abstract

Promotion of foreign direct investment (FDI) has been a priority policy goal in Central America, Panama and Dominican Republic for the past twenty years. Fiscal benefits are among the policies that have been used to attract it. At first sight the model followed has been fruitful. In 2013 the eight countries of the region succeeded in attracting US$ 12.7 billion, the highest level of FDI in their history. But there are question marks about how FDI will perform in future and what the incentives to promote it should be now that World Trade Organization rules on the instruments used to promote FDI in the region have changed. The present book analyzes this situation in depth. Firstly, it reviews the importance of FDI in the region as a source of financing for the external deficit. Then it reviews the findings of international economic research on the impact of FDI on growth and the factors that attract it. It highlights that far from being assured, the benefits of FDI depend on complementary factors which are often not present in the region. Subsequently the book analyzes the international evolution of FDI and the growing importance of multinationals of Latin origin. It then tackles the controversial question of the efficacy of fiscal incentives as a means to attract investment, following an innovative technical approach based on firm level data which questions whether the free zones have had a net positive impact on development. This analysis is complemented by a study of investment promotion policies, which focuses particularly on the Investment Promotion Agencies. Finally, the book outlines the prospects for FDI attraction now the sun has set on strategies based on providing fiscal incentives. It argues that a new strategy should be based on the creation of new skills and capacities through instruments designed to complement productive development policies and thereby generate positive spillovers in the economy.

Suggested Citation

  • Manzano, Osmel & Auguste, Sebastián & Alfaro, Laura & Artana, Daniel & Taylhardat, Adolfo & Cuevas, Mario & Porto, Luis, 2015. "Partners or Creditors? Attracting Foreign Investment and Productive Development to Central America and Dominican Republic," IDB Publications (Books), Inter-American Development Bank, number 6820, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:idb:idbbks:6820
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Olga Sinenko & Igor Mayburov, 2017. "Comparative Analysis of the Effectiveness of Special Economic Zones and Their Influence on the Development of Territories," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 7(1), pages 115-122.
    2. Hayato Kato & Toshihiro Okubo, 2022. "The Resilience of FDI to Natural Disasters Through Industrial Linkages," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 82(1), pages 177-225, May.
    3. Redonda, Agustin & de Sarralde, Santiago Diaz & Hallerberg, Mark & Johnson, Lise & Melamud, Ariel & Rozemberg, Ricardo & Schwab, Jakob & von Haldenwang, Christian, 2019. "Tax expenditure and the treatment of tax incentives for investment," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 13, pages 1-11.
    4. Laura Alfaro & Maggie Xiaoyang Chen, 2018. "Transportation cost and the geography of foreign investment," Chapters, in: Bruce A. Blonigen & Wesley W. Wilson (ed.), Handbook of International Trade and Transportation, chapter 12, pages 369-406, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    5. Petrit GASHI, 2017. "Free Trade and FDI in Kosovo: Prospects for Integration into the EU and Turkish Production Networks," Turkish Economic Review, KSP Journals, vol. 4(1), pages 86-95, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    República Dominicana; Nicaragua; employment; promoción de inversiones; productive development policies; empleo; fiscal incentives; Belice; free zones; economic growth; Belize; Panama; El Salvador; crecimiento económico; Costa Rica; Central America; incentivos fiscales; Guatemala; Centroamérica; Honduras; Dominican Republic; clima de negocios; zonas francas; inversion extranjera directa; foreign direct investment; business climate; políticas de desarrollo productivo; investment promotion; Mesoamérica;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations
    • O19 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - International Linkages to Development; Role of International Organizations
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • F32 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Current Account Adjustment; Short-term Capital Movements
    • F20 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - General

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