Assessing the impact of fiscal transparency on FDI inflows

This paper analyzes the role of fiscal transparency as a determinant of foreign direct investment (FDI) attractiveness. It proposes an empirical test based on a panel regression analysis on data from 72 countries in the 2006–2015 time span. The evidence supports the idea that countries characterized by higher levels of budget openness attract more FDI inflows. In more detail, a higher degree of transparency during the phase of budget execution is associated with increases of FDI inflows, even when the sample is restricted to non-OECD countries and low and lower-middle-income countries. The positive effect is robust to several different specifications and is found to be additional to the one of general government transparency. Moreover, we also show that the role played by fiscal transparency in attracting FDI is independent of other close institutional determinants like control of corruption and regulatory quality. •Fiscal transparency attracts FDI inflow.•A higher degree of transparency during the phase of budget execution is associated with increases of FDI inflows.•The effect of fiscal transparency is additional to those of government transparency, quality of institutions and corruption.•FDI inflows increase also in the sub-sample of non-OECD countries and low and middle-low income countries.