STORY:
Y2K Preparedness Ratings

Nations monitored for their Y2K readiness as New Year Eve draws closer

Billions of dollars have been spent on Y2K worldwide and now the big question, who will be ready and who will not. Some countries are much more prepared than others are and if you’re thinking of traveling this holiday the following list should come in handy.

A British consulting firm has rated countries according to their computer Y2K preparedness. International Monitoring also sought third-party verification of each government’s reports. The firm believes it has a true handle on those countries that will be able to withstand any Y2K problems and those which may see some severe problems.

The ranking is based on several areas. The consulting firm looked into the computer readiness and based its ratings on the risk of disruptions in a given country’s power system, telecommunications, finance and transportation infrastructures.

International Monitoring believes on January 1, 2000 we will see only 10 percent of the overall Y2K problems. The firm predicts 90 percent of Y2K failures will occur after Jan. 1. Analysts with the company believe the majority of bug-related troubles won't be directly related to systems failures but rather follow-up events. In fact, one senior analyst thinks many of the problems will begin with technology failings but then be compounded by human error.

International Monitoring has listed countries from "Best Prepared" to "Inadequate Information". Here’s a look at their list as it stands just several weeks before New Year's Eve.

Best prepared (least at risk):

Bermuda, Chile, Canada, United States, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Britain, Israel.

Better prepared:

Benin, South Africa, Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, Fiji, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Syria.

Moderately prepared:

Italy, Lithuania, Macedonia, Poland, Ukraine, Yugoslavia, Bahrain, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Colombia, Costa Rica, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, Armenia, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Georgia, Greece, Botswana, Cape Verde, Chad, Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Rwanda, Seychelles, Tanzania, Argentina, Brazil, Dominica, Dominican Republic.

Less prepared:

Central African Republic, Congo (former Zaire), Ethiopia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Swaziland, Gambia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Cambodia, Laos, Samoa, Vietnam, Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Romania, Russia, Turkey, West Bank & Gaza Strip.

Worst prepared (Most at risk):

Liberia, Madagascar, Niger, Somalia, Belize, El Salvador, Bangladesh, Moldova, Tajikistan, Egypt, Oman, Qatar.

Inadequate information:

Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Comoros, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Mali, Sao Tome & Principe, Sierra Leone, Togo, Uganda, Cuba, Guyana, Nicaragua, Azerbaijan, Macau, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Belarus, Cyprus, Iceland, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Algeria, Iraq, Libya.

DATE: 11/29/99

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