In the wake of concerns expressed by the world’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs) about difficulties being faced in attracting foreign direct investment the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has published a report that points to the need for those countries to correct critical infrastructural weaknesses to remedy this.
The report, which is intended to contribute to discussions at this month’s Fourth UN Conference on LDCs in Istanbul, Turkey, cites electricity supply, roads, railroads and computer and internet connections as infrastructural issues that must be remedied if LDCs are to attract more foreign direct investment and calls for the setting up of a “LDC infrastructure development fund” to improve these facilities and create a more convivial investment climate.
UNCTAD’s call for LDCs to do more to enhance the quality of their physical infrastructure in order to enhance their chances of attracting more overseas investment is likely to strike a resonant