Doing Business 2007

HOW TO REFORM

Overview

• Top reformers.– Africa is reforming;– China & Eastern Europe at top reformers;– Singapore.

• What gets measured gets done;

• Make it easier for businesses.

How to Reform?

• Start simple and consider administrative reforms that don’t need legislative changes;

• Cut unnecessary procedures, and reduce the number of bureaucrats entrepreneurs have to interact with;

• Introduce standard application forms and publish as much regulatory information as possible.

• Use new technologies.

Analysis

• Starting a Business• Dealing with Licenses• Employing Workers• Registering Property• Protecting Investors• Paying Taxes• Trading across Borders• Enforcing Contracts• Getting Credit• Closing a Business

Starting a Business

• Single access points – a popular reform

• Top reformers: Portugal, Japan, Madagascar

• Top: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, US

• Last: Guinea-Bissau

Dealing with Licenses

• Reducing licenses – a popular reform

• Top reformers: Canada, France, Spain

• Top: St Vincent and the Grenadines, Japan, Thailand, Belize

• Last: East Timor

Employing Workers

• Easier dismissal rules – a popular reform

• Top reformers: Georgia, FYR Macedonia, Romania

• Top: US, Singapore, Tonga, Maldives

• Last: São Tomé e Principe.

Registering Property

• Lower cost of register – a popular reform

• Top reformers: Nigeria, El Salvador, Germany

• Top:New Zealand, Armenia, Lithuania, Saudi Arabia

• Last: East-Timor

Getting Credit

• Expanding credit information – a popular reform

• Top reformers:France, Bulgaria, Georgia, Nicaragua

• Top: UK, Hong-Kong, Australia, Germany

• Last: Cambodia

Protecting Investors

• Greater disclosure – the most popular reform

• Top reformers: Mexico, China, Poland

• Top: New Zealand, Singapore, HK, Malaysia

• Last: Afghanistan

Paying Taxes

• Reducing tax rates – the most popular reform

• Top reformers: Albania, Egypt, Mexico and Morocco

• Top: Maldives, Ireland, Oman, UAE

• Last: Belarus

Trading across Borders

• Risk-based inspections – a popular reform

• Top reformers: Serrbia, Albania, Croatia and Hungary

• Top: HK, Finland, Denmark, Singapore

• Last: Rwanda

Enforcing Contracts

• Specialized courts – a popular reform

• Top reformers: Croatia, Estonia, FYR Macedonia

• Top: Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Lithuania

• Last: East Timor

Closing a Business

• Greater creditors’ power – a popular reform

• Top reformers: France, Chile, Romania

• Top: Japan, Singapore, Norway, Taiwan

• Last: Lao PDR