Doing Business 2010: Reforming through Difficult Times

The World Bank Group has released its annual Doing Business Report, which provides quantitative measures of regulations of the life cycle of a small or medium-size enterprise. Regulations related to registering property, employing workers, dealing with construction permits, and paying taxes are measured. Getting electricity and worker protection were added to this year's metrics.

In spite (or because) of the crisis, governments worked hard at improving the business climates within their borders:

In 2008/09 more governments implemented regulatory reforms aimed at making it easier to do business than in any year since 2004, when Doing Business started to track reforms through its indicators. Doing Business recorded 287 such reforms in 131 economies between June 2008 and May 2009, 20% more than in the year before.

Reformers focused on making it easier to start and operate a business, strengthening property rights and improving the efficiency of commercial dispute resolution and bankruptcy procedures.

The top slots are occupied by the usual suspects: Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong, United States, United Kingdom, and Denmark are the easiest places to do business. Each country was in the top six last year. 

The results from this year's top reformers are a bit more dynamic: 

Low- and lower-middle-income economies accounted for two-thirds of reforms recorded by Doing Business in 2008/09, continuing a trend that started 3 years ago. Indeed, three-quarters of such economies covered by Doing Business reformed. And for the first time a Sub-Saharan African economy, Rwanda, led the world in Doing Business reforms.

Five other low- or lower-middle income economies—the Arab Republic of Egypt, Liberia, Moldova, the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan—joined Rwanda on the list of global top reformers.

This year's results give credence to the axiom that it is easier to usher in change during periods of instability. In other words, "never waste a good crisis."

Click here for a summary of the highlights from the report

Click here for a report overview in PDF format.

Click here to access the most important images.