Forbes published its fifth annual “Best Countries for Business” report on September 8. As usual, Central Asia didn’t fare too well.
Tajikistan ranked 121 out of 128 countries globally, a trifling improvement (last year it placed 123) for a country the World Bank calls a global "top ten reformer" for ease of doing business.
The scale cites a variety of sources. Though market performance was measured year on year to August 19, economic data is all based on 2009 statistics.
Thus, Kyrgyzstan did not fall as much as it may have, dropping to 106 from 90 last year. Despite an uprising that toppled the government in April, followed by looting and subsequent ethnic violence in June, Forbes' Kyrgyzstan summary did not mention this year’s events, which have shaken investor confidence -- as has talk of “nationalization."
Uzbekistan, where many an entrepreneur has no choice but to operate within a stifling black market and where the state regularly disseminates fantasy economic statistics, was not ranked at all. Turkmenistan? Ditto (cubed).
By comparison, Lithuania ranked highest of any former Soviet republic at 32. Kazakhstan took the lead for Central Asia at 72, again beating Russia, which placed 97.