LONDON (Reuters) - Britain could attract up to 7.7 billion pounds ($10.2 billion) in additional foreign sovereign investment by 2030 if it pursues a long-term blueprint for enticing such funds, a report said.
The City of London Corporation has repeated calls for a financial and professional services plan to convert interest in British assets into cash as Prime Minister Keir Starmer prepares to host his first international investment summit on Oct. 14.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has warned that taxes will have to rise after uncovering a 22 billion pound hole in public finances, making ramping up foreign direct investment in Britain even more important for the cash-strapped government.
Britain needs a streamlined system led by a public-private council chaired by the Chancellor, Britain's finance minister, said Chris Hayward, Policy Chairman of the City of London, which administers the UK's main financial centre.
The City of London report said sovereign wealth and public pension funds had more than doubled their UK investments in the five years after opening an office in Britain, compared to the five years before.
This resulted in an extra 13.4 billion pounds of investment, involving 92 deals, into key areas such as innovative technology, infrastructure and renewable energy, it said.
"The road to economic growth passes through the City, therefore there must be a plan to both prioritise and capitalise on the contribution of financial services to foreign investment," Hayward said.
Separately, Britain's Investment Association said Reeves should launch an Inclusive Investment Strategy in the Oct. 30 Budget to encourage more UK households to save and invest.
Online surveys by Opinium Research on behalf of the IA showed just 1 in 10 UK pension holders over 55 were confident they were saving enough to live comfortably in retirement.
Chris Cummings, Investment Association Chief Executive, said the UK had a culture of avoiding risk in personal finances. "Too many people in the UK are taking one of the biggest financial risks of all: taking no risk. This needs to change," he said.
($1 = 0.7572 pounds)