The legal protection of international foreign investments by states is one key instrument and a very important mechanism to ensure the sustainable economic development in African countries. It is one complex issue of Public International Law domain, especially when it comes to specific measures adopted by states at the level of the national legal frameworks. The legal, business and economic environment for FDI in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) and the protection of international foreign investments is regulated at various levels, by international agreements / treaties, regional agreements and national codes or legislation. The domestication of international agreements / treaties as well as regional agreements into national legal systems and their subsequent enforcement by individual states requires specific procedures of ratification and implementation.
The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) describes investment agreements as "the most important protection of international foreign investment." They are creating more rights and powers for foreign investors - particularly the transnational corporations. In many African countries, the implementation of international and regional instruments is not as effective as one would expect. The causes of this hiatus are to be traced in various structural and institutional structures inherent to national legal systems in these countries. The topic under investigation relates to the state of effective legal protection of international investments in Eastern and Southern African countries, mainly within two regional blocs; i.e. SADC and COMESA. This article is the summary of a study conducted within the region, with the objective to identify and analyze international law instruments applicable in the region, as well as the national situation in Mozambique as a specific study case on the domestication and enforcement of international agreements.
Investment-linked life insurance policies offer more flexibility to the policy owners and they can choose when to top up or how much, or on what portion of their policy that is linked directly to investment performance. Considering the wide range of investment tools available, investment-linked insurance products may be linked to stocks and shares, property or real estate, cash deposits, fixed income securities, government bonds, corporate bonds, unit trusts, investment trusts, other life insurance and annuities. Investment-linked funds have been created to suit the client's various investment objectives, risk-reward profiles and investment preferences.
With several insurers offering a variety of investment-linked insurance products, it is now possible for an insurance policy holder to enjoy protection and at the same time to invest solely in one fund or a combination of funds, subject to certain limitations, such as a minimum of 20% of his investment in each fund selected. An insurance policy holder may switch his investment between funds when his investment objectives change.
Mutual funds are yet another way of diversifying investment risk and return. Some mutual funds specialize in high risk/high yield type investments, while others mirror segments of the stock market (as in Spider Funds, which buy the exact companies that appear on certain stock indices). Mutual funds are run by a board of directors and a management team in most cases. These individuals have the responsibility of making the investment choices for the entire fund. Mutual funds are traditionally one of the most popular investments options and routes to take. Mutual funds are easier to become involved with than almost any other investment. They are often times the starting place for investors who are looking to have the potential for return while also curving the risks in spreading out the potential downside. One of the challenges with mutual funds, however, is the fact that there are so many and they can be difficult to choose between them. Out of thousands of different mutual funds, finding one that meets your investment requirements can be tricky. It also should be noted that just because a mutual fund has done well in the past that does not mean that it will continue to do well in the future. Very few mutual funds maintain a steady track record over time.
The policy strategy currently pursued by many Southern African countries is explicitly intended to improve conditions for foreign direct investment (FDI). Over the past two decades many countries have implemented broad ranging economic reforms, including the liberalization of domestic markets and some privatization, which has had an effect on the flow and nature of foreign investment. However, In the past, Africa has, on average, been relatively unsuccessful in attracting FDI in spite of very large increases in global flows.
The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) describes investment agreements as "the most important protection of international foreign investment." They are creating more rights and powers for foreign investors - particularly the transnational corporations. In many African countries, the implementation of international and regional instruments is not as effective as one would expect. The causes of this hiatus are to be traced in various structural and institutional structures inherent to national legal systems in these countries. The topic under investigation relates to the state of effective legal protection of international investments in Eastern and Southern African countries, mainly within two regional blocs; i.e. SADC and COMESA. This article is the summary of a study conducted within the region, with the objective to identify and analyze international law instruments applicable in the region, as well as the national situation in Mozambique as a specific study case on the domestication and enforcement of international agreements.
Investment-linked life insurance policies offer more flexibility to the policy owners and they can choose when to top up or how much, or on what portion of their policy that is linked directly to investment performance. Considering the wide range of investment tools available, investment-linked insurance products may be linked to stocks and shares, property or real estate, cash deposits, fixed income securities, government bonds, corporate bonds, unit trusts, investment trusts, other life insurance and annuities. Investment-linked funds have been created to suit the client's various investment objectives, risk-reward profiles and investment preferences.
With several insurers offering a variety of investment-linked insurance products, it is now possible for an insurance policy holder to enjoy protection and at the same time to invest solely in one fund or a combination of funds, subject to certain limitations, such as a minimum of 20% of his investment in each fund selected. An insurance policy holder may switch his investment between funds when his investment objectives change.
Mutual funds are yet another way of diversifying investment risk and return. Some mutual funds specialize in high risk/high yield type investments, while others mirror segments of the stock market (as in Spider Funds, which buy the exact companies that appear on certain stock indices). Mutual funds are run by a board of directors and a management team in most cases. These individuals have the responsibility of making the investment choices for the entire fund. Mutual funds are traditionally one of the most popular investments options and routes to take. Mutual funds are easier to become involved with than almost any other investment. They are often times the starting place for investors who are looking to have the potential for return while also curving the risks in spreading out the potential downside. One of the challenges with mutual funds, however, is the fact that there are so many and they can be difficult to choose between them. Out of thousands of different mutual funds, finding one that meets your investment requirements can be tricky. It also should be noted that just because a mutual fund has done well in the past that does not mean that it will continue to do well in the future. Very few mutual funds maintain a steady track record over time.
The policy strategy currently pursued by many Southern African countries is explicitly intended to improve conditions for foreign direct investment (FDI). Over the past two decades many countries have implemented broad ranging economic reforms, including the liberalization of domestic markets and some privatization, which has had an effect on the flow and nature of foreign investment. However, In the past, Africa has, on average, been relatively unsuccessful in attracting FDI in spite of very large increases in global flows.
About the Author:
Frank Miller has a Debt Consolidation Blog & Finance, these are some of the articles: How Owners Of Homes May Get Puerto Rico Tax Breaks You have full permission to reprint this article provided this box is kept unchanged.
No comments:
Post a Comment