Balkans Becoming Economically Freer, Says Index

| 21 January 2010 | By Sabina Niksic

Tirana

Albania has region’s freest economy, Bosnia the least free, while Bulgaria is sole country in region whose score has dropped. All but one country of the Balkans registered an improvement in economic freedom last year but the region still faces difficult challenges, notably corruption, political interference and excessive bureaucracy, according to the Index of Economic Freedom.

The index of 179 world nations is published annually by the Wall Street Journal and the Heritage Foundation, and the regional details are announced by its strategic partner, the Adriatic Institute for Public Policy, an independent think tank.

Albania had the freest and Bosnia the least free economy in the region, the 2010 Index of Economic Freedom said, rating the two countries in 53rd and 110th position respectively.

The index measures economic freedom within 10 specific categories including business freedom, labour freedom, and government spending.

Despite its poor rating, Bosnia and Herzegovina registered “signifi¬cant improvements” in fiscal, investment and labour freedoms, the index said in its report. As the result, the country’s average economic freedom score was 56.2, which was 3.1 points higher than in 2009.

more see: http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/25114/