In the next three years, i.e. before it enters the European Union, Croatia should enter the Club 40 of the most competitive countries, and this means that it must be faster and better than it has been so far and that it must be more efficient in changes. We need a social consensus to enhance our country's competitiveness and a strong political will to embark on this road to the 40 most competitive economies, council chairman Darko Marinac said at the presentation of an annual review of Croatia's competitiveness in 2006, in Zagreb on Tuesday.
According to the World Economic Forum's global competitiveness index, Croatia is on an ascending curve.
According to the forum's report for 2006 covering 125 countries, Croatia moved forward by 13 places from the 64th place in 2005 to the 51st place last year.
Croatia has narrowed a gap between itself and some other transition countries such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, Hungary and Estonia, but is still lagging behind.
The analysis also recommends in which sectors Croatia should make speedy headway so that this optimistic scenario of entering the club of the 40 most competitive countries could be realised.
Croatia should move from an economy based on efficiency factors to an economy based on innovation factors, Velimir Sonje said while presenting the report.
Apart from the continuation of the public sector reform, Croatia should strengthen the tertiary education system, advance market efficiency and increase its capability to absorb new technologies.