The CEO agenda for regulation

Where are the biggest opportunities for business and government to work together?

CEOs around the world expect their governments to play a role in boosting national competitiveness. Most identify education, infrastructure, and financial sector stability as areas where governments can make a difference. Progress is often accelerated by close cooperation between public and private sectors.

In the US, business leaders don’t hide their disappointment in their government, be it in managing the implications of the economic crisis or the fiscal deficit and debt burden. Yet, evidence shows that difficult government-business relationships can be overcome in the interest of addressing shared priorities. One such area is skills development. More than 50% of US CEOs, for example, are increasing their investments in formal education systems as they look to fill critical talent gaps.

Quotes

F. William McNabb III
Chairman, President and CEO, The Vanguard Group, Inc

"The most important thing right now for governments to do in terms of stability is to develop long term, credible fiscal plans. The US, for example, can’t continue to run the kinds of deficits it has built up over a long period of time. Now, that’s not to say that you have to solve the problem in the next 24 or 36 months, but there needs to be a plan in place that actually addresses the long term structural issues that exist. In terms of other policy elements that need to be in place, the single biggest is the lack of jobs. And where is job creation going to come from? There could be more thought given to training, with the focus on education, and where to invest to create the next generation of jobs."
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The CEO agenda