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Fri, March 24, 2023 | 06:43
Business
More benefits for foreign R&D centers
외국인투자 불씨 살린다…세계 10대 투자 강국 목표
Posted : 2014-01-09 16:54
Updated : 2014-01-09 16:54
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By Choi Kyong-ae

Korea will give bigger tax benefits and improve the atmosphere of uncertainty in the nation's business environment in a move to encourage multinational firms to establish their headquarters and research and development (R&D) centers here, the government said Thursday.

The measures were proposed by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in its quest to bolster foreign investment to stimulate the nation's sluggish economy.

Towards that end, the government will maintain the current income tax rate at 17 percent for foreign executives in Korea, regardless of the size of their income. This rate was originally supposed to end in December, the ministry said in a statement.

As for financial transactions between foreign firms' global headquarters in Korea and their overseas affiliates, the National Tax Service and the Korea Customs Service are expected to collaborate in levying appropriate taxes and simplifying the transfer process.

Foreign engineers at multinational R&D centers in Korea will continue to benefit from tax cuts of 50 percent on their incomes till 2018, which is an extension of four years. The government will also extend the maximum visa duration for foreign employees of any multinational firm headquartered here to five years from the current three years, the statement said.

"We are planning to offer extended tax incentives, improve the predictability of economic policies and seek further deregulation to lure value-added investments such as the global headquarters of multinational firms and their R&D facilities," the ministry said.

On the same day, President Park Geun-hye vowed to lift the nation's business environment to the level of global standards at a meeting with foreign business leaders, including representatives of foreign chambers of commerce, at Cheong Wa Dae.

"The government will listen to what difficulties foreigners have in making investments here and try to make Korea a better place to invest," Park said at the meeting.

The country has had a steady flow of foreign investments helped by major free trade deals signed with the EU and the U.S. But the value of foreign investments fell to $9.48 billion last year from $10.6 billion a year earlier.

Experts and foreign business lobbying groups such as the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK) and the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) welcomed the latest measures.

"European investors and the Korean economy will mutually benefit from a predictable business environment. We will do our best to support Korea's effort to shape a better investment environment," ECCK President Thilo Halter said Thursday in a statement.

"I think it is wonderful. I think it is a great example of what can be done to help improve the investment environment which will cause the economy to grow," former AMCHAM Chairman Jeffrey D. Jones told The Korea Times by telephone. He currently serves as an attorney at the Kim & Chang law firm in Seoul.

The two major foreign lobbies are calling for greater consultation with the government when rules and regulations are developed or changed to reduce the uncertainty of the business environment.

Compared to other competing Asian countries such as Hong Kong and Singapore, Korea continues to have a very rigid regulatory regime which impedes foreign investment. Investors want to invest where they know rules are predictable and transparent, she said.

Thilo told The Korea Times in August that "When competing at the international level, corporate and personnel tax rates are, among others, key criteria in attracting investment and foreign talent."

According to Thilo, during their meeting with President Park, foreign business leaders "proposed" an amendment to the nation's tax law for foreign workers and the very complex audit process.

The government expects these measures will help attract investments such as the establishment of General Electric's global headquarters for its offshore plant business in Korea last year. It is also optimistic that the measures will also attract firms from emerging economies like China.


외국인투자 불씨 살린다…세계 10대 투자 강국 목표

FDI 양적으로 늘었지만 선진국과 비교하면 아직 미미
정체된 FDI 해법은 글로벌기업 본부·R&D센터 유치


정부가 9일 내놓은 외국인투자 활성화방안은 외국인투자의 규모와 수준을 한단계 격상시키겠다는 의지가 담겼다.

과거 외국인투자가 제조업에 집중됐다면 앞으로는 글로벌기업의 헤드쿼터(본사)나 지역본부, 연구개발센터(R&D) 등 고부가가치 시설을 유치해 일자리 창출, 성장잠재력 확대 등 경제적 파급 효과를 극대화하겠다는 것이다.

정부는 이를 바탕으로 수년 내에 우리 경제력에 걸맞은 세계 10위권의 투자 강국으로 도약하겠다는 청사진을 제시했다.

◇ 외국인투자액 늘었지만 아직 갈 길 멀어

우리나라는 1997년 외환위기를 계기로 외국인 투자 유치에 적극적으로 나서 규모면에서 괄목할 만한 성과를 만들어냈다.

본격적으로 경제개발을 시작한 1962년부터 1997년까지 36년간 유치한 외국인직접투자액(FDI)이 164억 달러에 불과하지만 1998년 이후 15년 남짓한 기간 유치한 액수는 무려 1천143억 달러에 달한다.

하지만 주요 선진국과 비교하면 아직 양적으로 많이 뒤처진다.

2012년 기준으로 우리나라 FDI 유치 규모는 총 1천470억 달러로 미국(3조9천320억 달러), 영국(1조3천21억 달러), 프랑스(1조950억 달러), 독일(7천160억 달러) 등과 비교하면 미미하다.

국내총생산(GDP) 대비 FDI 비율도 12.7%로 경제협력개발기구(OECD)의 3분 1 수준이다. 영국(54.4%), 프랑스(39.5%), 미국(26.2%), 독일(21.1%) 등과는 현격한 차이를 보인다.

여기에 FDI가 중·소규모 제조업 분야에 집중되면서 경제적 파급 효과가 제한적이라는 지적도 나온다.

특히 국민경제 기여도의 잣대인 고용창출 효과만 보면 애초 기대에 한참 못미친다는 게 대체적인 분석이다. 외투기업이 우리 수출의 20%를 담당하면서도 고용은 6%에 불과하다는 점이 이를 방증한다.

산업통상자원부 관계자는 '최근 수년간의 FDI 움직임을 보면 양적으로나 질적으로 정체기에 들어섰다는 점이 확연히 눈에 띈다'고 말했다.

◇ FDI 질·양적 도약 해법은 글로벌기업 본부 유치

이처럼 뒤처진 FDI를 '업그레이드'하는 방안으로 정부가 제시한 게 글로벌기업의 헤드쿼터·지역본부 또는 R&D센터 유치다.

특히 글로벌기업의 헤드쿼터는 해외 수십 개의 자회사에 대한 의사결정과 경영지원을 총괄하는 거점으로 고급 외국인 인력과 기술의 국내 유입은 물론 양질의 일자리 창출 측면에서 효과가 크다.

사실 객관적인 여건만 보면 우리나라가 글로벌기업의 '아시아 거점'으로 자리매김할 여지가 충분하다.

세계적으로 세손가락 안에 드는 FTA(자유무역협정) 네트워크에 광대한 내수시장을 가진 중국·동남아시아 등과 인접한 지리적 특성은 한국의 큰 장점이다.

여기에 뛰어난 기술력으로 글로벌 시장을 호령하는 세계적 기업과 양질의 인적자본을 보유한 것도 매력적이다.

이 때문에 독일계 화학기업 바스프가 전자소재 사업의 아시아·태평양 본부와 R&D 센터를, 미국의 제너럴 일렉트릭(GE)이 조선해양사업의 글로벌 본부를 각각 한국에 두기로 결정했다.

독일계 에너지기업 지멘스도 발전엔지니어링 분야의 아시아·태평양지역 거점으로 한국을 선택했다.

올 1월 현재 국내에 지역본부를 둔 글로벌기업은 총 8개로 정부는 파악하고 있다.

정부가 내놓은 방안은 이러한 글로벌기업의 움직임에 쐐기를 박는다는 의도가 깔려 있다. 우리나라가 가진 기존의 여러 장점에 소득세 감면 등 정책적 인센티브를 추가해 글로벌기업의 한국행에 속도를 붙이겠다는 것이다.

일본·중국 등의 글로벌 거점 전략에 맞불을 놓겠다는 성격도 짙다.

일본은 2012년 11월 법인세 감면, 특허출원 절차 간소화 등을 뼈대로 한 '아시아거점화법률'을 만들어 글로벌기업에 '러브콜'을 보내고 있고 중국·대만도 특정지역을 자유경제구역으로 지정하는 등 정책적 지원을 아끼지 않고 있다.

산업부 관계자는 '주변국이 경쟁적으로 외국인투자 유인책을 내놓는 상황을 수수방관할 수만은 없는 입장'이라며 '이러한 대외적 여건을 충분히 살펴 이번 방안을 수립했다'고 설명했다.
Emailcka@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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