Doing Business 2012: Doing Business in a More Transparent World

Doing Business 2012 is the ninth in a series of annual reports investigating the regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it. Doing Business presents quantitative indicators on business regulation and the protection of property rights that can be compared across 183 economies—from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe—and over time.

Regulations affecting 11 areas of the life of a business are covered: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, resolving insolvency (formerly closing a business) and employing workers. The employing workers data are not included in 2012’s ranking on the ease of doing business.

Key findings:

  • Morocco improved its business regulation the most compared to other global economies, climbing 21 places to 94, by simplifying the construction permitting process, easing the administrative burden of tax compliance, and providing greater protections to minority shareholders. Since 2005, Morocco has implemented 15 business regulatory reforms.

  • Besides Morocco, 11 other economies are recognized as having the most improved ease of doing business across several areas of regulation as measured by the report: Moldova, FYR of Macedonia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Latvia, Cape Verde, Sierra Leone, Burundi, the Solomon Islands, the Republic of Korea, Armenia and Colombia.

  • The Republic of Korea was a new entrant to the top 10. 

  • Governments in 125 economies out of 183 measured implemented a total of 245 business regulatory reforms—13 percent more reforms than in the previous year. In Sub-Saharan Africa, a record 36 out of 46 economies improved business regulations this year. Over the past six years, 163 economies have made their regulatory environment more business-friendly. 

Document type
  • Report
Language

English

Publication Year

2012

Country
United States of America
Geographical focus
  • International; Other
Scientifc field / Thematic focus
  • Cross-thematic/Interdisciplinary
Attachments

Entry created by Danaja Lorencic on October 30, 2012
Modified on October 30, 2012