Economic News/Trends and Analysis — March 16, 2010

Media Advisory - Which G7 country and which city has the lowest business costs?

KPMG's Competitive Alternatives Study 2010 to be released via webcast March 30

TORONTO, March 16 /CNW/ - KPMG LLP will release its 8th Competitive Alternatives study ranking the competitive business cost advantage of ten countries and 112 cities on March 30 at 0930 EDT, 0630 PDT, 1330 GMT via a news conference, conference call and webcast. The announcement will be made in Toronto, Canada.

The Competitive Alternatives study identifies the 2010 cost competitiveness leader among nine industrialized countries and the leading lowest cost cities in these regions. The report measures the combined impact of 26 cost components that are most likely to vary by location, as applied to specific industries and business operations. It also speaks to the impact of the high Canadian dollar on Canada's ability to compete globally.

What:

A webcast briefing on KPMG's 2010 Competitive Alternatives Study: A Guide to International Business Costs. (www.CompetitiveAlternatives.com) Following the presentation there will be time for questions.

When:

Tuesday, March 30, 0930 EDT

Who:

Simon Harding, Associate Partner, KPMG's Advisory Services practice and Head of the Strategic and Commercial Intelligence practice in Toronto

Glen Mair, Director, MMK Consulting Inc., co-author Competitive Alternatives Study

Webcast registration instructions:

Please register for the webcast briefing by visiting either:

English registration site:

http://webcast.streamlogics.com/audience/index.asp?eventid=52749269

French registration site:

http://webcast.streamlogics.com/audience/index.asp?eventid=52749269=french

or via www.competitivealternatives.com

Please note that this webcast will be in English and pre-registration is required.

Live Question and Answer Session Post Webcast Briefing

Those wishing to participate in a live Q&A immediately after the webcast via the telephone, are asked to call the following number:

1 888-612-1051 (In North America only)

Please note:

This is an operator assisted line and those dialing in will be asked for their name and the media outlet they represent.

About Competitive Alternatives

KPMG's 2010 Competitive Alternatives study provides an independent comparison of international business location costs in 112 cities in 10 countries around the world. The study enables businesses executives to take a quick initial scan of how business costs compare among a variety of cities in leading countries. It also assists KPMG professionals and economic developers in their work with businesses considering relocation, and enables policy makers to help determine the impact of a proposed tax and/or incentive policy change on the cost competitiveness of their jurisdictions.

To access the full report after the press conference on March 30, please visit www.competitivealternatives.com.

Exchange rates per USD used in the Competitive Alternatives 2010 study are as follows: AUD $1.10, CAD $1.06, (euro)0.68, GBP (pnds stlg)0.61, JPY (Yen)89.86, and MXP $13.07.

About KPMG

KPMG LLP, the audit, tax and advisory firm (kpmg.ca), a Canadian limited liability partnership established under the laws of Ontario, is the Canadian member firm of KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International"). KPMG International's member firms have 140,000 professionals, including more than 7,900 partners, in 146 countries.

The independent member firms of the KPMG network are affiliated with KPMG International, a Swiss entity. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity, and describes itself as such.

For further information: Media Contact: Julie Bannerjea, Head of Media Relations, KPMG, (416) 777-3243 or jbannerjea@kpmg.ca

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