8. Concluding remarks
This paper has examined the factors that might affect the inflows of FDI into Cambodia’s small open economy over the period 1995–2005. Panel data sets were used for both approved and realized FDI. The data from 17 home countries for approved FDI and 15 countries of origin for realized FDI were pooled over 1995–2005. Even though some countries are not included, these panel data sets for the approved and realized FDI represent almost all (about 99 per cent) of Cambodia’s total FDI inflows during this period.
The major difference between the above findings and a number of previous empirical studies about other countries resides in the use of explanatory variables in relative terms and in the application of several diagnostic tests for choosing the best possible econometric estimation technique. Another important feature of this paper is that unit root tests were conducted for all time-variant variables to avoid spurious regression results.
Random effects estimation proved to be most suitable for estimating approved FDI, while a pooled OLS model performed statistically better for the estimations of realized FDI. One-year lagged explanatory variables were used to estimate their impact on FDI inflows. The results show that the determinants of approved FDI and realized FDI are similar. The FDI home country’s GDP, bilateral trade, and the exchange rate have a positive impact on inward FDI flows into Cambodia. Geographical distance negatively affects the level of FDI inflows in Cambodia. This explains that a large share of FDI inflows over the period under consideration largely came from developing Asian neighbouring countries.
With respect to the policy implications for Cambodia, it is interesting to stress that international trade is shown to have a major impact on FDI inflows into the country. Therefore, a further liberalization of Cambodia’s international trade should attract more inward FDI, which in turn is expected to generate some positive externalities in the economy. Improving the political risk score is shown to have created a favourable environment for attracting foreign investments. As the home country GDP is a main driving force of inward FDI flows into Cambodia, it follows that the country’s ability to attract inward FDI is, to some extent, beyond its control and depends on the GDP growth of the world economy and specific home countries. Thus, the Cambodian Government should devote much more effort in creating ‘‘pull factors’’ for the country, e.g. by improving its institutions, infrastructure and legal systems, by the removal of administrative barriers, etc. which can result in dynamic positive effects of inward FDI and economic growth, in addition to stimulating technology transfer to the country.
As to the role that regional economic integration played in the inflow of FDI in Cambodia, it is found that investment inflows driven by increased international trade with the other member countries has been significant. Yet, no additional impact was detected from Cambodia’s ASEAN membership per se. Much impact on inward FDI in the country can be assigned to the costs associated with doing business abroad (information cost, monitoring cost, transportation costs of supplying raw materials and intermediate inputs to the host country, etc.) which was proxied by distance. In the future, the role of international trade and distance will increase further, as they will be much affected by the regional integration process. With the deepening of ASEAN integration and the creation of the ASEAN Economic Community, it can therefore be expected that more FDI will flow into Cambodia from the more developed ASEAN neighbours Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. It remains to be seen, however, how investment from China, Japan and South Korea, as the three major partner countries involved in the so called ‘ASEAN+3 process’, and from the ASEAN countries into China, will develop.
Appendix A. Definitions and data sources of variables