Stabilizing countries against foreign investment

The role of the private sector in globalization is illustrated by the fact that, in 1996, foreign exchange trading by the big investors amounted to some US$350 million million (Martens and Paul 1998), more than ten times the world's GDP of about US$30 million million (World Bank 1998). Total revenue of the top 500 companies was about US$11 million million, 50 per cent each for industry and services (Fortune 1998). Private foreign investment, concentrated in a limited number of developing countries, was about US$250 000 million, compared to overseas development assistance (ODA) of less than US$50 000 million.