FIRB Should Not be a Model for South Africa

South Africa looks to Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board as a model:

THE establishment in SA of a body similar to the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board will be vital in regulating the government’s rules on foreign direct investment and removing uncertainty of the kind around this year’s controversial Walmart-Massmart merger.

However, competition experts warn that for the body to function properly, it will have to be independent from the government, will have to be governed by rules that clearly define its role and jurisdiction, and will have to have absolute transparency.

Australia’s FIRB has none of those characteristics.