How do we hurt our Investors?

• 2023-12-12
• 200

Investors bring money and expertise. They are very important for a developing nation.

There are occasions where investors exhibit lower than expected standards in their conduct and operations.

However, putting aside this aspect of the conversation, I’d like to remind us how we (or the host country) hurt our Investors:

• We do not fully appreciate that the time has money value.
• We behave inconsistently (our laws, regulations, law enforcement and administrative bodies)
• We do not always honor what we have already agreed to (by changing laws without adequate consultation, and wrongfully applying laws)
• We may abuse government taxation and inspection powers and public positions.
• We do not always understand ‘what the government is’ in dealing with investors (any governmental body and agent may obligate the government).
• We do not yet understand that the Constitution, our highest law, equally protects private property, and commercial rights and interests.
• We do not issue decisions when those decisions are duly expected.
• Our decisions or acts are arbitrary when there’s a lack of proper attitude, reason, and due process.
• We tend to believe that ‘what we have done in essence or in effect’ is different from what we did.
• We do not appreciate the fact that we have made promises and undertaken obligations under international laws.
• We ‘childishly’ assert that the local understanding of ‘private property’ differs from the international concept of private property.
• We do not always understand that investors have duties towards their financiers, equity and guarantee holders.
• We tend to discriminate between small and large investors (we may bully smaller investors, including verbal abuse and threats)
• We do not fully appreciate that investors have reputations as humans, social groups, and nations.
• We do not appreciate the fact that ‘monies and capital invested over many years’ cannot lead to nothing or benefit others at the expense of an investor.
• We do not always figure out what is an error which can be rectified and what is a fatal issue for investor confidence.