DR Corruption

[Sidney]

Corruption burdens the DR
President Leonel Fernandez was a speaker at the World Economic Forum debates in Davos, Switzerland in January and then again in Rio, Brazil in April of this year, but ironically, the DR's rankings in the recent Global Competitive Index report continue to reflect a lack of leadership and efficiency in government.

After almost eight years of Fernandez administration, the DR slumps to the 110th place of 142 countries in the important index. The DR in 2010-2011 was ranked 101st on a list of 139 countries.

This year's report points to corruption, tax rates, inefficient government bureaucracy, inadequately educated workforce, access to financing, inadequate supply of infrastructure, crime and theft, and restrictive labor regulations as the most problematic factors for doing business. The DR is ranked as the world leader (142nd) in both wastefulness of government spending and reliability of police services in the 2011-12 ranking. The DR is ranked 141st in favoritism in decisions by government officials, 140th in diversion of public funds, 135th in public trust of politicians, reflecting the collapse of institutions in the Dominican Republic under the Fernandez administration.

The DR also made the bottom top 10 rating in quality of education system (136th) and quality of math and science education (139th).

Areas where the DR made the upper top 50 places were: strength of investor protection (47th), prevalence of foreign ownership (41st), business impact of rules on FDI (41st), flexibility of wage determination (45th), cooperation in labor-employer relations (37th), soundness of banks (34th), control of international distribution (49th).

The Global Competitiveness Report's competitiveness ranking is based on the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI), developed for the World Economic Forum by Xavier Sala-i-Martin and introduced in 2004. The GCI comprises 12 categories n the pillars of competitiveness - which together provide a comprehensive picture of a country's competitiveness landscape. The pillars are: institutions, infrastructure, macroeconomic environment, health and primary education, higher education and training, goods market efficiency, labor market efficiency, financial market development, technological readiness, market size, business sophistication and innovation.

www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GCR_Report_2011-12.pdf

[DASBOOTY]

This year's report points to corruption, tax rates, inefficient government bureaucracy, inadequately educated workforce, access to financing, inadequate supply of infrastructure, crime and theft, and restrictive labor regulations as the most problematic factors for doing business. The DR is ranked as the world leader (142nd) in both wastefulness of government spending and reliability of police services in the 2011-12 ranking. The DR is ranked 141st in favoritism in decisions by government officials, 140th in diversion of public funds, 135th in public trust of politicians, reflecting the collapse of institutions in the Dominican Republic under the Fernandez administration.

The DR also made the bottom top 10 rating in quality of education system (136th) and quality of math and science education (139th).

This is all very disturbing to read.

And it makes me wonder if most people in that country are on the take?

That most of them will play us (foreigners, tourists etc) and even their own countrymen for money?

It seems the more and more I go down there that the more and more this seems true.

I have been to Cuba several times and have befriended many Cuban people. And I don't see that attitude in Cubans like I do in Dominicans.

Some of that may be due to being raised in the socialist system. But, I believe a lot of it is due to the good-hearted, giving nature of Cuban people. Like for example: inviting you to their casa for dinner, or inviting you to go fishing with them - and not expecting anything from you in return.

I have learned that if I want to be friends with Dominicans, I am gonna have to pay -whether it be for food, for petrol for their tanks, for beers etc.

In my experience, it is not like that with Cubans.

This is just my .02 cents.