The Cook Islands: Stronger Investment Climate for Sustainable Growth

Abstract

The Cook Islands is among the best performing Pacific island economies, with many structures in place that support private sector investment, including an internationally competitive tax regime, an open trade regime, and good standards of education and health care. Future prospects are positive due to the growing tourism sector, and potential resource revenues from seabed minerals prospecting activities are another favorable development. The Government of the Cook Islands is committed to pursuing sustainable development through private-sector-led growth. Yet, the Cook Islands faces significant challenges in realizing its full potential, including a sluggish business entry process that discourages foreign investment, inadequate infrastructure that threatens to degrade the natural environment, complex land ownership and inadequate land use planning processes, and a weak collateral framework. This private sector assessment identifies priority policy areas and recommends the most important, strategic steps that the government should focus on to improve the business environment. This report was produced by the Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative, a regional technical assistance facility cofinanced by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Government of Australia, and the New Zealand Government.