The World Economic Forum’s listing of most competitive economies

TIRANA, Sept. 26 – A recent survey of the World Economic Forum with over 11,000 business leaders in 125 countries about the world’s most competitive economies put Albania at the 95th place, the last from the European countries leaving behind only countries in Africa and Asia, though it had improved two places compared to a year ago. The poll aims to examine the range of factors that can affect an economy’s business environment and development as it seeks to maintain economic growth _ including the levels of judicious independence, protection of property rights, government favoritism in policy-making and corruption. The top place was Switzerland that had moved up from the 4th place a year ago. While the United States from the first place had moved to the 6th place. The list continued with Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Singapore. After U.S. Japan was the 7th, followed from Germany, Netherlands and Britain. Slovenia, a former Yugoslav republic and before considered to be in the Balkans, was ranked 33rd, Italy 42nd, Greece 47, Croatia 51, China 54, Turkey 59, Russia 62nd, Romania 68th, Bulgaria 72nd, Macedonia 80th, Moldova 86th, Serbia and Montenegro 87th, Bosnia and Herzegovina 89th, and Albania 98th. Though Albania had improved two places from the previous year when seeing the countries behind it is really distressing. They were Bangladesh, Suriname, Nigeria, Gambia, Cambodia, Tanzania, Benin, Paraguay, Kyrgyzstan, Cameroon, Madagascar, Nepal, Guyana, Lesotho, Uganda, Mauritania, Zambia, Burkina Faso, Malawi, Mali, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Mozambique, East Timor, Chad, Burundi and Angola.