The Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011, Bangladesh - 107th.

[FagunerAgun]

The rankings are calculated from both publicly available data and the Executive Opinion Survey, a comprehensive annual survey conducted by the World Economic Forum together with its network of Partner Institutes (leading research institutes and business organizations) in the countries covered by the Report.

Switzerland tops the overall ranking in The Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011 released by the World Economic Forum. The United States falls two places to fourth position, overtaken by Sweden (2nd) and Singapore (3rd). The Nordic countries continue to be well positioned in the ranking, with Sweden, Finland (7th) and Denmark (9th) among the top 10, and with Norway at 14th. Sweden overtakes the US and Singapore this year to be placed 2nd overall. The United Kingdom, after falling in the rankings over recent years, moves back up by one place to 12th position.

The forum praised the United States for its innovative companies, excellent universities and flexible labour market. But it also cited huge deficits, rising government debt and declining public faith in politicians and corporate ethics.

The United States, which continued to have the world's largest economy in terms of gross domestic product, but the survey dropped the U.S two spots in overall competitiveness to fourth due to huge deficits and pessimism about government.

World’s most competitive nation is not US any more.

10. Canada
12. UK
26. Malaysia
27. China
28. Brunei Darussalam
38. Thailand
44. Indonesia
56. India
62. Sri Lanka
107. Bangladesh
123. Pakistan
130. Nepal
139. Chad – the last in the list.

Sources: The Canadian Press and World Economic Forum.

[nakibahmed]

wait how does brunei get to be at 28,those guys have one of the highest inflation rates ever!..what the hell do they even export? :S

[FagunerAgun]

Originally Posted by nakibahmed
wait how does brunei get to be at 28,those guys have one of the highest inflation rates ever!..what the hell do they even export? :S

Yeah, I am surprised as well. All they do is to dig out oil, sell and eat and sleep.

[Rabz]

Originally Posted by FagunerAgun
Yeah, I am surprised as well. All they do is to dig out oil, sell and eat and sleep.

If you can do that, you dont need to do anything else.
Rankings are for commoners, not oil diggers.

[deshifan]

How come Switzerland ranked 1, Sweden 2, Singapore 3 ?
How come China(13), Qatar(17), Saudi Arabia(21), Israel(24)?

I don't get it.

[Zunaid]

Originally Posted by deshifan
How come Switzerland ranked 1, Sweden 2, Singapore 3 ?
How come China(13), Qatar(17), Saudi Arabia(21), Israel(24)?

I don't get it.

In what sense?

Which do you think belongs and which do not? Note - this is not a ranking of GDP... It measures how productively a country uses available resources that contributes to their citizens' prosperity.

I can see how 1, 2 and 3 are up there. And also how China and Israel ranks so high. I don't quite agree with the ranking of some of the oil rich nations though.

[Equinox]

Any improvement?

[Nafi]

Originally Posted by Zunaid
In what sense?
I can see how 1, 2 and 3 are up there. And also how China and Israel ranks so high. I don't quite agree with the ranking of some of the oil rich nations though.

Well their human right ethics may not be the best, but I dont see how that effect the managing of their resources significantly.

[FagunerAgun]

Originally Posted by Equinox
Any improvement?

No. During 2009 - 2010, the rating for BD was 106.

[FagunerAgun]

Originally Posted by deshifan
How come Switzerland ranked 1, Sweden 2, Singapore 3 ?
How come China(13), Qatar(17), Saudi Arabia(21), Israel(24)?

I don't get it.

Their innovative companies, excellent universities and flexible and sophisticated labour market, also less deficit/more surplus, negligeble/no government debt and increasing public faith in politicians and corporate executives have made them very competitive in the world market.

[deshifan]

Dude, how many excellent universities do you see in Finland, Taiwan, Denmark, Belgium or Switzerland? May be they got less government debt and political stability better than others. I guess countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal has got "D" in the political stability part. India got leverage for their universities and booming industries. But what actually is this sophisticated labor market ? Is it what put Malaysia ahead of China?

Originally Posted by FagunerAgun
Their innovative companies, excellent universities and flexible and sophisticated labour market, also less deficit/more surplus, negligeble/no government debt and increasing public faith in politicians and corporate executives have made them very competitive in the world market.

[FagunerAgun]

Originally Posted by deshifan
Dude, how many excellent universities do you see in Finland, Taiwan, Denmark, Belgium or Switzerland? May be they got less government debt and political stability better than others. I guess countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal has got "D" in the political stability part. India got leverage for their universities and booming industries. But what actually is this sophisticated labor market ? Is it what put Malaysia ahead of China?

Email your concern/questions/queries to World Economic Forum, who conducts the survey and has all the survey info to help you understand what they are, and explain what is a sophisticated labour market in this regard.

[Neel Here]

I would guess availibility of skilled labour ?

don't agree with the oil-doms. only when the oil runs out can we truly say if they have been doing the best use of their resources.

[FagunerAgun]

Originally Posted by Neel Here
I would guess availibility of skilled labour ?

don't agree with the oil-doms. only when the oil runs out can we truly say if they have been doing the best use of their resources.

Yes, skilled labour is one of the criteria of sophisticated labour market.

[FagunerAgun]

Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a Bangladeshi think tank, launched a study based on a survey of large-scale entrepreneurs at a press briefing at its office in the city yesterday.

The CPD also placed the global competitiveness report assessed by WEF at the press briefing.

The study stated that the downgrading was mainly attributed to deceleration in the sub-index of basic requirements which include public institutions, infrastructure, macroeconomic stability, health and primary education.

Three sub indices, namely, basic requirements, efficiency enhancers and innovation and sophistication factors are taken into account for the ranking.

Most of the businessmen identified poor electricity supply as the major concern despite various government initiatives taken last year, the study said.

"Underdeveloped railways and inland waterways coupled with poor port facilities have reduced potentials as regards transportation of goods and passengers," said CPD official Khondaker Golam Moazzem. Bangladesh's score has increased by 2.5 percent (overall score 3.64) as the scores for Basic Requirements increased by 3 percent, Efficiency Enhanced by 2.3 percent and Innovations and Sophistications by 0.3 percent.

The highest score was obtained in health and primary education (4.96), which increased by the highest percentage (10.5 percent). The lowest score was obtained in infrastructure (2.15), which has decreased by the highest percentage (10%), the only factor in which Bangladesh ranked among bottom- 10 countries.

The CPD's Study on Competitive Business Environment in Bangladesh 2009 was carried out from February to April, 2010 with a reference period of January to December 2009. The number of respondents was 90, comprising large and medium companies having total assets of not less than Tk 10 crore.

The CPD survey respondents opined that the biggest inhibiting factor for business in 2009 was inadequate infrastructure. Inefficient government bureaucracy came out as the second most inhibiting factor while corruption is the third most important factor.

Dr Moazzem said that corruption in the public sector could not largely influence the private sector, adding, "Undocumented payments by firms, bribes by public sector officials, diversion of public funds to companies remained a major concern in reducing corruption."

CPD's executive director Mustafizur Rahman, while summing up, said Bangladesh is behind in almost all indicators compared with its major competitors.

Answering a question, Prof Mustafizur Rahman said that the big entrepreneurs in the survey expressed their disappointment on whether the government will be able to implement its projects with regards to infrastructure development.

Source: The New Nation.