Editor's note: Let's wake up before it's too late
For a few weeks after any announcement like this the media produce various somber scenarios. Important figures calm us down by saying that the poor result is just the effect of some biased criteria. After a few days things are back to normal. Or rather to what everyone in Poland is beginning to treat as normal, which, however, is far from an acceptable state.
We can expect the same thing to happen to the latest report of the Swiss institute IMD. The think tank analyzed the economies of the world and put Poland almost at the very bottom.
Both Poland's business and the ruling class are - according to the Swiss experts - making a pig's ear of things. One could say this is nothing new. And that's the problem. Most people who are influential in business circles realize this, but it doesn't shock them any more.
There are still people in Poland who are deeply worried with what is going on in our economy. They are the readers of our newspaper - the bosses of the largest enterprises operating in Poland. It is they who, according to the Swiss report, have presented the most pessimistic view of the economic conditions in which they are forced to operate.
Why isn't this topic touched on in public debates? Because direct foreign investments keep on streaming into Poland, which is misleading. We are still very attractive due to our cheap labor force. Poland's key economic problem, the dramatically high unemployment rate, is attracting investors in to Poland. But that is not the country's future.
In order for this country to make a giant leap in economic development it must switch from production and industry to services. Otherwise, it will become a giant assembling plant for cars, which will be driven by citizens of richer neighboring countries. And the only advantage will be cheap, low qualified workers ready to work anywhere for any money.
And no one will mention rankings any more. Because we won't be included in them.
Eliza Durka
Editor-in-chief
We can expect the same thing to happen to the latest report of the Swiss institute IMD. The think tank analyzed the economies of the world and put Poland almost at the very bottom.
Both Poland's business and the ruling class are - according to the Swiss experts - making a pig's ear of things. One could say this is nothing new. And that's the problem. Most people who are influential in business circles realize this, but it doesn't shock them any more.
There are still people in Poland who are deeply worried with what is going on in our economy. They are the readers of our newspaper - the bosses of the largest enterprises operating in Poland. It is they who, according to the Swiss report, have presented the most pessimistic view of the economic conditions in which they are forced to operate.
Why isn't this topic touched on in public debates? Because direct foreign investments keep on streaming into Poland, which is misleading. We are still very attractive due to our cheap labor force. Poland's key economic problem, the dramatically high unemployment rate, is attracting investors in to Poland. But that is not the country's future.
In order for this country to make a giant leap in economic development it must switch from production and industry to services. Otherwise, it will become a giant assembling plant for cars, which will be driven by citizens of richer neighboring countries. And the only advantage will be cheap, low qualified workers ready to work anywhere for any money.
And no one will mention rankings any more. Because we won't be included in them.
Eliza Durka
Editor-in-chief
