Guyana in warning category on failed states index

http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article?id=56522850

Guyana in warning category on failed states index
Stabroek News,
Wednesday, June 20th 2007

Guyana has been ranked 99th out of 177 (the lower the score the more
serious the problem) on the Failed States Index for 2007 while Trinidad
and Barbados have been ranked 116 and 130 in the four colour-coded
categories.

According to the report, Guyana is in the orange stage of the colour
coding, meaning that the country is at the warning stage. This is the
first year that Guyana has been listed in the index. Barbados, being
listed at 130 falls in the moderate 'yellow' stage, along with such
countries like Panama, Chile, the United States and South Africa.

Ranking in the top tier with the most serious problem are Sudan, Iraq,
Somalia, Zim-babwe, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of
Congo and Haiti (11) among others. These states were listed in the red
'alert' stage.

Topping the countries in the sustainable 'green' stage were the three
Scandinavian states of Norway, Finland and Sweden. Last year the index
comprised 146 countries.

Indicators used to determine the ranking of the 177 countries were
mounting democratic pressures, massive movement of refugees or
internally displaced persons creating complex humanitarian emergencies,
legacy of vengeance-seeking, group grievance or group paranoia, chronic
and sustained human flight and uneven economic development along group
lines.

Sharp and severe economic decline, including a sudden drop in commodity
prices, trade revenue, foreign investment or debt payments, are also
used as indicators. Also the growth of hidden econo-mies, including the
drug trade, smuggling, and capital flight, increased levels of
corruption and illicit transactions among the general populace, failure
of the Government to pay salaries of Government employees and armed
forces or to meet other financial obligations to its citizens, such as
pension payments can also determine how a country is ranked.

In terms of other Caricom countries, Suriname was ranked at 96, Grenada
105, Belize 114, Antigua 121, Jamaica 123 and The Bahamas 129.

Venezuela was ranked 74, Cuba 77, India 110, Brazil 117, The UK 157 and
the US 160.