TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Nov. 29 (PIA) - The National Competitiveness Council (NCC), a public-private sector body formed in 2006 by virtue of Executive Order No. 44, is conducting a series of Road Shows in the different parts of the country In line with improving the level of competitiveness in the global market.

Sarah C. Lope, Program Officer of the National Competitiveness Council (NCC) said during the NCC Roadshow conducted recently at Leyte Park Hotel, Tacloban City, that although it is frustrating to know that the Philippines was placed last at the ASEAN countries based on International Finance Corporation survey, it is also good to note that the country was conferred by another international body the World Economic Forum (WEF) global competitiveness report which placed the Philippines number 65 out of 142 countries based on 2012 survey report.

In the IFC report it was indicated based on global ranking that Singapore placed 1st, Malaysia 12th, Thailand 18th, Brunei Darussallam 79th, Vietnam 99th, Indonesia 128th, Cambodia 133rd and the Philippines placed 138th, while based on the WEF global competitiveness report Singapore ranked 2nd, Malaysia 25th, Brunei Darussalam 28th, Thailand 38th, Indonesia 50th, Philippine 65th, Vietnam 75th and Cambodia 85th.

Ms. Lope compared the Philippines in the year 1950s and 1960s, as one of the most admired countries in the world and during the middle of 1970s up to the present wherein the country consistently lags behind in the global economic arena due to uneven level playing field.

Ms. Lope cited indicators which were the basis of the international survey group result such as the number of procedures to start a business, business cost of terrorism , burden of custom procedures, quality of port infrastructure, flexibility of wage determination, quality of air transport infrastructure, hiring and firing practices, efficiency of legal framework in settling disputes, business cost of crime and violence, efficiency of legal framework in challenging regulations, total tax rate, quality of scientific research institution, net primary education enrollment, diversion of public funds, judicial independence, quality of math and science education, quality railroad infrastructure, favoritism in decision of government officials, effectiveness of anti-monopoly policy and capacity for innovation.

It was reflected in the report that the Philippines is monitored by Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) on 20 key performance indicators.

The performance bar or threshold is set as country’s economic classification.

In 2011, the Philippines was classified as low income country. While, In 2012, the classification was raised to lower middle income country reflecting Gross National Income (GNI) per capita, thus the bar has been set higher.

The Philippines must pass one-half of all indicators, including rule of law and control of corruption.

Lope noted that the country is constantly working ways to improve its performance on these and other competitiveness indicator.

Ms. Lope is optimistic that due to collective effort between public-private partnership the country can achieve and even surpass its target from WEF-Global Competitiveness report from the current rank of 65th to 30th or higher by year 2016, and IFC doing business survey from 138th to 50th or higher by 2016.

It is worthy to note that the foreign investor trust and confidence to the country had increased due to government new policy implemented and responding to the indicators established, Lope said. (PIA 8)

original source: www.pia.gov.ph