CIAO DATE: 09/2013
August 2013
Peterson Institute for International Economics
Economists and the financial world have grown increasingly excited about or alarmed by the growing influence of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs), though in recent years the public debate about their role has subsided. Politicians in countries in which the funds invested have generally welcomed the additional financial resources from abroad while expressing concern about the motivations of investors and possible threats to political, economic, and financial security. Countries in which the funds were based have wanted to know more about how their national wealth is invested. Responding to these concerns, authorities and managers responsible for SWFs in many countries have taken steps to demystify the funds. This update on the transparency and accountability of SWFs, based on the SWF scoreboard first developed by Truman in 2007, finds that many of the funds have made substantial progress in providing more information about and accountability for their activities, but that the progress has not been uniform and more is needed.
Resource link: Progress on Sovereign Wealth Fund Transparency and Accountability: An Updated SWF Scoreboard [PDF] - 203K