THE HAGUE, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- For the first time, the Dutch economy will be the most competitive economy of the year in Europe, Dutch State Secretary Mona Keijzer of Economic Affairs and Climate said on Wednesday.
"These are nice and deserved compliments for our entrepreneurs, their employees and our knowledge institutions," Keijzer said in a statement, referring to the latest Global Competitiveness Index prepared by the World Economic Forum (WEF), which revealed that the Netherlands is now ahead of Switzerland and Germany, from sixth to fourth place.
"But we will have to continue to invest in innovation, and certainly also privately, in order to maintain that top position and thus our jobs and income in the future as well," Keijzer said.
"The Dutch economy has become much more dynamic" and "the infrastructure, the functioning of the government including economic policy and the increased growth of innovative companies are world class," the WEF said in a report.
The Netherlands has been consistently in the top ten of the most competitive economies in the world since 2005. In 2016 and 2017, the Netherlands also occupied fourth place. Last year, the Netherlands dropped to sixth place.
