Investment is a risky business, not just for investors, but for host countries and their people. While investors enjoy many guarantee, developing countries host and its people are without any guarantee against bad investors. Investmen should not be a case of socialising risks and privatising profits.Bilateral and Regional Free Trade Agreements (BFTA and RFTA) have are mushrooming in many countries and regions. Many such agreements, particulary between a developing country (or region) and a developed country (or region) tend to be WTO +++ in nature. Obligations taken on by a developing country can be more than what it has bound itself to in the WTO.
This paper looks at investment rules under a typical BFTA with the United States of America (USA). Written and published in 2007, the issues are as relevant today for further scrutiny vis a vis the current developments.
invstasi-bilateral-treaty
