Taipei, Oct. 1, 2012 (CENS)--The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) publicized yesterday (Sept. 30) the latest evaluation report on investment-environment risk released by BERI (Business Environment Risk Intelligence), showing that of the 50 countries under the evaluation worldwide, Taiwan ranks fourth place, with a score of 72, trailing Singapore, Switzerland, and Norway. Korea, Taiwan's archrival on the global market, ranks 17th place.
BERI predicted that the evaluation of Taiwan's investment-environment evaluation will advance one notch to 3rd place in 2013, with the score rising to 73, on a par with Norway. Taiwan's score will advance to 75 in 2017, higher than Norway's 74, ranking third place worldwide.
The MOEA noted that BERI suggested investors to maintain their investment commitment to Taiwan. BERI expressed that Taiwan will actively push its external economic and trade relationship, accelerate the free-trade talk with the U.S., and maintain a stable cross-Taiwan Strait relationship in the next two years.
The report is the second evaluation report on investment-environment risk released by BERI this year; BERI releases such report thrice a year. The BERI investment-environment evaluation consists of three major indices: operating-risk index, political-risk index, and exchange-rate risk index.
Taiwan's operating-risk index ranks second place worldwide, trailing only Singapore. BERI analyzed that Taiwan's competitiveness is advancing gradually, with its global competitiveness ranking seventh place worldwide. Logistics index also rises. In addition, in July the Legislative Yuan passed the stock transaction gains tax, which is expected to generate NT$10 billion of extra tax income, helping cut financial deficit.
BERI predicted that Taiwan's corporate operating risk will remain low, with its ranking reaching 1st place in 2013 and 2nd place in 2017, trailing Singapore.
Taiwan's political-risk index remains at seventh-place ranking, trailing Singapore, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Australia, and Finland. BERI remarked that with the lifting of the import ban on the beef from the U.S., Taiwan is expected to resume talk on TIFA (Trade and Investment Framework Agreement) with the U.S. this year. Its relationship with mainland China will remain close in the short run. BERI predicted that Taiwan's political risk will ranks seventh place in both 2013 and 2017.
For exchange-rate risk index, Taiwan ranks fourth place worldwide and second place in Asia. BERI predicted that Taiwan's exchange-rate risk will rank fourth place in 2013 and third place in 2017.
