Tuesday, October 9, 2012

National Statistics Month (NSM) celebration

The Regional Development Council (RDC) through its Regional Competitiveness Committee (RCC) will soon craft its regional competitiveness index that will measure the performance of local government units, specifically cities in Western Visayas.

This was disclosed by Engr. Gilberto A. Altura, chief economic development specialist of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) who also sits as secretary of the committee.

In today's roundtable discussion in line with the 23rd National Statistics Month (NSM) celebration, Engr. Altura explained that the RCC is a special committee created by the RDC whose functions are to measure local competitiveness indicators, formulate programs to improve competitiveness, engage in investment promotion activities and contribute to the employment generation and job creation in Western Visayas.

The RCC serves as the counterpart of the National Competitiveness Council (NCC), a public-private sector body tasked to "improve the country's global competitiveness ranking."

He stated that the RCC has already came up with an initial assessment of the 66 regional competitiveness indicators under six areas identified by the NCC in coordination with the Regional Statistical Coordinating Committee of the RDC. These areas include dynamism of local economy, responsiveness of local government units to business needs, infrastructure, quality of life, cost of doing business and human resources training.

In fact, the assessment result was used as reference by all other RCCs in the country for baseline data gathering.

Altura said that the NCC through the Project Inquest with a support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is expected to come up with the index within the next 30-45 days, he added. It will then serve as basis for the regular evaluation among cities in the region.

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