Brunei Darussalam scored high in environmental, social and governance (ESG) category with 83 per cent in the 2021 edition of the M&A Attractiveness Index by Mergers and Acquisitions Research Centre (MARC) at the Bayes Business School.
The index ranks countries on their capacity to attract and sustain mergers and acquisitions activity based on six factor groups.
On finance and economy, it almost reaches a score of 50 per cent. However, the Sultanate slipped eight places down to 72nd out of 148 countries while in the Southeast Asian region, the Sultanate was at the seventh spot with an overall score of 47 per cent.
United States (US) and Singapore ranked first and second, followed by United Kingdom (UK) and Canada.
The latest annual ranking – the first to incorporate the true effects that the COVID pandemic has had on individual nations as foreign direct investment targets – compared deal activity and attractiveness to investors of 148 countries.
Compiled by Dr Naaguesh Appadu Research Fellow at Bayes, the report also provides additional analysis into the opportunities and challenges facing countries, including the clear emergence of ESG considerations from investors when completing a deal and the importance of strong national infrastructures.
Source: Borneo Bulletin
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August 22, 2022
