Effect of Investment Promotion through the Special Economic Zone Mechanism on the Distribution of FDI in Cambodia

This study examines the effect of investment promotion through the special economic zone (SEZ) mechanism on foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow across Cambodia. We applied generalized methods of moments (GMM) to panel data constructed from 19 Cambodian provinces during 2015–2019. Our results show...

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Main Author: Chuop Theot Therith
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-09-01
Series:Economies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7099/10/9/231
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author Chuop Theot Therith
author_facet Chuop Theot Therith
author_sort Chuop Theot Therith
collection DOAJ
description This study examines the effect of investment promotion through the special economic zone (SEZ) mechanism on foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow across Cambodia. We applied generalized methods of moments (GMM) to panel data constructed from 19 Cambodian provinces during 2015–2019. Our results show that the number of SEZs positively affects both FDI inflow and diversification across the country, while capital invested in developing SEZs increases only the latter. Other SEZ variables, including the presence of SEZ, its intensity, and the age of the first established SEZ in a province, are mostly found to be positively associated with FDI and diversified FDI but not notably significant. Supportably, the existence of SEZ is confirmed to be significant by the <i>t</i>-test method, meaning that the SEZ province can attract more FDI than the non-SEZ one. Some provincial efforts and characteristics, including annual government expenditure, number of public relations, population density, population 18 years old and up, deep-sea ports, and international gates, likely significantly influence FDI inflow into the provinces of Cambodia. All in all, the SEZ mechanism attracts more diversified foreign investment activities, and it has a significant effect on the distribution of FDI in Cambodia.
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spelling doaj.art-c7e9a4e60db7426eb239a075ab42c1362023-11-23T15:55:17ZengMDPI AGEconomies2227-70992022-09-0110923110.3390/economies10090231Effect of Investment Promotion through the Special Economic Zone Mechanism on the Distribution of FDI in CambodiaChuop Theot Therith0PhD Program, Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, Waseda University, Tokyo 169-0051, JapanThis study examines the effect of investment promotion through the special economic zone (SEZ) mechanism on foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow across Cambodia. We applied generalized methods of moments (GMM) to panel data constructed from 19 Cambodian provinces during 2015–2019. Our results show that the number of SEZs positively affects both FDI inflow and diversification across the country, while capital invested in developing SEZs increases only the latter. Other SEZ variables, including the presence of SEZ, its intensity, and the age of the first established SEZ in a province, are mostly found to be positively associated with FDI and diversified FDI but not notably significant. Supportably, the existence of SEZ is confirmed to be significant by the <i>t</i>-test method, meaning that the SEZ province can attract more FDI than the non-SEZ one. Some provincial efforts and characteristics, including annual government expenditure, number of public relations, population density, population 18 years old and up, deep-sea ports, and international gates, likely significantly influence FDI inflow into the provinces of Cambodia. All in all, the SEZ mechanism attracts more diversified foreign investment activities, and it has a significant effect on the distribution of FDI in Cambodia.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7099/10/9/231investment promotionspecial economic zoneSEZforeign direct investmentFDI
spellingShingle Chuop Theot Therith
Effect of Investment Promotion through the Special Economic Zone Mechanism on the Distribution of FDI in Cambodia
Economies
investment promotion
special economic zone
SEZ
foreign direct investment
FDI
title Effect of Investment Promotion through the Special Economic Zone Mechanism on the Distribution of FDI in Cambodia
title_full Effect of Investment Promotion through the Special Economic Zone Mechanism on the Distribution of FDI in Cambodia
title_fullStr Effect of Investment Promotion through the Special Economic Zone Mechanism on the Distribution of FDI in Cambodia
title_full_unstemmed Effect of Investment Promotion through the Special Economic Zone Mechanism on the Distribution of FDI in Cambodia
title_short Effect of Investment Promotion through the Special Economic Zone Mechanism on the Distribution of FDI in Cambodia
title_sort effect of investment promotion through the special economic zone mechanism on the distribution of fdi in cambodia
topic investment promotion
special economic zone
SEZ
foreign direct investment
FDI
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7099/10/9/231
work_keys_str_mv AT chuoptheottherith effectofinvestmentpromotionthroughthespecialeconomiczonemechanismonthedistributionoffdiincambodia