S'pore tops 2013 Change Readiness Index

SINGAPORE - Singapore has been ranked as the country most prepared to respond to change - be they natural disasters, social instability, global economic competition or technologies.

It topped a list of 90 countries, according to a KPMG study titled 2013 Change Readiness Index.

The report assesses a country's ability to manage change and cultivate opportunity.

Singapore was first in the areas of enterprise and government capability to respond to changes and fifth in the people and civil society segment.

Said the report: "The way a country responds to - anticipates, mitigates, evolves, and takes advantage of - change has a significant impact on its ability to both achieve sustained economic growth and share the benefits of that growth with its citizens."

The study revealed that a country's wealth does not always translate to change readiness - a number of lower-income countries had greater change readiness capability compared to some more developed countries.

Several lower-middle income countries, including the Philippines, outperformed some higher-income countries like Italy and China.

The top 10 countries are, in order: Singapore, Sweden, Qatar, New Zealand, Germany, Israel, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Australia, United Kingdom.

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