[Paul] Romer [Economista-chefe do Banco Mundial] told the Wall Street Journal that Chile’s recent slide in the index was almost entirely due to methodological changes that could have been politically motivated, and not by deterioration in the South American nation’s business environment.

Chile ranked as high as 34 under the administration of President Sebastian Pinera in 2010 to 2014, but as low as 57 during Bachelet’s two terms in office, which ran from 2006 to 2010, and from 2014 to now.

Chilean economist Augusto Lopez-Claros, who was in charge of compiling Chile’s ranking for the World Bank report, said accusations of political manipulation were “wholly without merit.” Chile’s recent rankings decline was due to other countries, including Mexico and Colombia, stepping up their efforts, as well as fully-justified and transparent methodological changes, Lopez-Claros said in an emailed note.

That wasn’t how Romer saw it. [Bloomberg,13/01/2018]

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