Colombo not a place to live

In an international survey released June 9, Colombo was cited as one amongst the less appealing cities in which to live, reported the Daily Mirror newspaper.

According to the Quality of Living Global City Rankings 2008 covering some 215 cities, Auckland was named as the city with the best quality of living in the Asia Pacific region while Dhaka is the city with the region's worst quality of living.

European cities dominate the worldwide rankings having the best quality of living locations with Zurich retaining its 2007 title as the highest ranked city, followed jointly by Vienna (2), Geneva (2), then Vancouver (4) and Auckland (5).

The survey is conducted to help governments and major companies place employees on international assignments.

The survey also identifies those cities with the highest personal safety ranking based on internal stability, crime, effectiveness of law enforcement and relationships with other countries.

For personal safety, Pakistan is one of the lowest-scoring destinations followed by Colombo, Dhaka, Jakarta and Manila. Singapore is the region's best location for personal safety, scoring 120.2 compared to Karachi's 25.3.

"Border conflicts and internal issues, combined with high levels of crime, make many other countries like Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Indonesia less appealing relocation destinations," senior researcher, Slagin Parakatil said.

"Personal and family safety is of paramount importance when employees consider opportunities overseas. Cities that are, or are perceived as, unsafe may experience difficulties in attracting the best people and skills," he said.

Data was largely collected between September and November 2007 and is regularly updated to take account of changing circumstances.

In particular, the assessments will be revised in the case of any new developments.

The database contains more than 350 cities, but only 215 cities have been considered for the quality of living 2008 ranking to compare from one year to the next.

Canadian cities dominate the rankings in the Americas. Vancouver has the best quality of living followed by Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.

Cape Town in South Africa and Port Louis in Mauritius are the region's cities with the best quality of living followed by Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Auckland is the city in Asia Pacific with the best quality of living, followed by Sydney and Wellington. Elsewhere in Asia, Singapore ranks two places higher than in 2007, slightly higher than Japanese cities such as Tokyo.

"Businesses face constant challenges in identifying new markets, expanding operations and acquiring and strategically deploying resources. Establishing suitable allowances linked to local costs and quality of living is essential in encouraging expatriate employees with transferable skills to accept international assignments," Mr. Parakatil said.