IDEA: Argentine Executives Searching for Answers on Global Copmetitiveness

Attendees of the 45th Annual IDEA Conference seek answers on global competitiveness

One of Argentina’s most prestigious and probing private sector gatherings took place last week at the 45th Annual IDEA Conference in Mar del Plata.

Over 800 Argentine executives met in the coastal resort town to ponder one giant question: Why is Argentina not more competitive on the global stage? Electronic voting commenced on the Conference’s Opening Day…hands on buzzers…top five answers are on the board.

And in a pro-capitalist blast across the bow of the ruling administration, an overwhelming 60% of those in attendance said “Public policies that take the life out of macroeconomic gains” were the primary obstacles hampering Argentina’s global competitiveness. According to La Nacion, another 30% of respondents shared the blame with their political rivals and chose, “The Inability of Politicians and Businessmen to Adapt to the International Environment.”

The IDEA debate and self-criticism comes on the heels of the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2009-10 which ranked Argentina 85th out of 133 countries surveyed. According to the Report, the primary negative hurting Argentina’s overall ranking is the lack of confidence in the ethical standards of many of the country’s politicians. Julian Rooney, VP of Public Affairs at Minera Alumbrera offered a positive spin at IDEA ’09, “Argentina has incredible opportunities to keep growing. But we need to maintain clear (i.e., political) rules of the game in the long-term.”

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