The "Index of Economic Freedom" in 2010 announced this week, mosr that the various reforms in public administration, carried out by the Executive are having positive impacts, as Cape Verde has achieved a total score of 61.8, reflecting an improvement of 0.5 points about the "score" of last year and holding first place at the ECOWAS.

Compared with the countries of the African, Cape Verde is now in seventh place with a score well above the average of other countries. Already last year, the country had improved substantially to 3.4 in general, proving the efficiency and impact of the reforms are being implemented, of which the Company Day and other reforms in the laws and the operation of services notary and registration, with the help of new technologies.

The results, as mentioned above, show that Cape Verde continues to improve its contents, although they now lie in 78th place, one spot below the Index of 2009, thanks largely to the improvement and increase of other countries, rather than by our performance, since we increased our score. In terms of West Africa remain well positioned, in the 7th position. (see also text: Cape Verde is the most economically free country in West Africa).

Cape Verde was the same - along with Mauritius (76.3, an increase of 2.0) in Botswana (70.3, up 0.6) and Madagascar (63.2, up 1.0), the 1st, 2nd and 3rd places respectively in the ranking seven of the best in West Africa - one of only three countries in West Africa to see an improvement in your score.

It refers, however, is expected to improve even more substantially in the near Index, as the impact of other reforms being undertaken at present, were not taken into account in the Index that evaluates the results for the year preceding the contained in the Index, or the results of 2008, as with all other index that is published at the beginning of each year.

Already in late 2009 on several occasions, the Prime Minister, José Maria Neves, made clear the intention of Cape Verde to further improve its performance at the level of the Index as "Doing Business", or the Index of Economic Freedom which assess the degree of economic freedom and business opportunities in each country (see text: PM announces major reforms and said confidence in the economic recovery in 2010).

Ambition reforms

As the title indicated above, the Government says huge ambition to continue with reforms in public administration and business environment, so that, increasingly, the Cape Verdean economy can provide more competitive and promote growth and economic development of the country.

In one session of the Council of Ministers in October last year, the government approved an extensive package of reforms to achieve the ambitious target of Cape Verde to become one of the most reformers in 2010. This package are important reforms as a new code of land registers and tax and providing for its review and elimination of double taxation, among several other measures which have even earned the approval and applause from various sectors of our society, including entrepreneurs and tour operators.

The Index of Freedom of Economics is produced annually and published in partnership between two prestigious international institutions, "The Heritage Foundation and Wall Street Journal" and aims to measure countries' progress on the reforms and freedoms in the economy, including the Fiscal Freedom , costs (investments) of the Government, Freedom (security) and Monetary Freedom Investments.

One of the downsides to Cape Verde, this assessment is 2010 or the Freedom Labor Laws Labor that are perceived as relatively rigid. According to that laws to protect employees are "relatively" rigid, making it an expensive process of dismissal of any worker. It is, moreover, the only Quesito in which Cape Verde has a score below 50, 48.1 points to be precise.