FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN AUSTRALIA JUMPS IN LAST QTR

  The net inflow of foreign investment
  into Australia jumped to 7.3 billion dlrs in the fourth quarter
  of 1986 from 4.32 billion in the third quarter and 4.55 billion
  a year earlier, the Statistics Bureau said.
      The Bureau attributed the increase to a turnaround of 2.08
  billion dlrs in official sector transactions and a 1.09 billion
  turnaround in direct investment.
      The turnaround in official transactions to a 1.52 billion
  inflow from a 555 mln outflow in the third quarter, against a
  520 mln inflow a year earlier, was largely on account of
  government foreign currency borrowings, it said.
      Direct investment recorded a turnaround to a 1.04 billion
  dlr inflow in the fourth quarter from a 57 mln withdrawal in
  the third quarter, against a 546 mln inflow in the fourth
  quarter of 1985, the Bureau said.
      It said the major part of the turnaround reflected an
  injection of funds, estimated at around 700 mln dlrs,
  associated with the previously reported restructuring of the
  Australian operations of General Motors Corp &lt;GM>.
      GM used the funds to pay out or take over certain
  Australian liabilities of its local unit &lt;General
  Motors-Holden's Ltd>, it said.
      However, net borrowings remained the major part of total
  inflow, accounting for 6.16 billion dlrs in the fourth quarter
  against 3.88 billion in the third quarter and 4.03 billion a
  year earlier, the Bureau said.
      Net official borrowings comprised 1.52 billion dlrs against
  a net outflow of 548 mln in the third quarter and a 516 mln
  inflow a year earlier.
      Total private and semi-public authority net borrowings rose
  to 4.64 billion dlrs from 4.42 billion in the third quarter and
  3.51 billion a year earlier.
  

