Taiwan has maintained its status as the world’s fourth-best investment destination in the latest US Business Environment Risk Intelligence (BERI) report, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said on Monday.
Taiwan received a total score of 65 points for profit opportunities recommendation — the overall indicator used by BERI to evaluate each nation as an investment destination.
Taiwan’s ranking was the same as in the previous report released in December last year, but its score was down two points from the 67 points it received in August last year, the ministry said in a statement.
Only Switzerland, Norway and Singapore were ranked ahead of Taiwan of the 50 nations surveyed in the report, which is issued three times per year, in April, August and December.
The organization uses three main indicators to assess investment risk — operating conditions (operations risk), political risk and foreign exchange/external accounts position (remittance and repatriation factor) risk.
Overall, the report gave Taiwan’s general investment climate a 1B rating, which means investors should invest in the stock market for the long term.
Taiwan ranked as the world’s fourth-safest and Asia’s safest nation in terms of operating conditions and ranked as the world’s safest place in terms of foreign exchange/external accounts position risk.
However, it ranked 18th in the world and seventh in Asia for political risk, its worst rating in the past few years.
The US-based analysis and rating service provider also forecast that Taiwan’s ranking could slip to the 22nd place next year and 17th in 2024.
Looking to next year, BERI forecast that Taiwan would fall one notch and become the fifth-best investment destination in the world.
By 2024, Taiwan would be the sixth-best investment destination worldwide, with its profit opportunities recommendation score expected to rise to 67 points, the report said.
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