Fact Sheet -- South Asia

Summary of Doing Business reforms:

Afghanistan made getting electricity easier by improving the efficiency of the electricity department in Kabul and introducing a new fee schedule for connections.
Areas of business regulation reform: Getting electricity
Rank in Doing Business 2012: 160     Rank in Doing Business 2011: 154

Bangladesh made getting electricity more difficult by imposing a moratorium on new electricity connections from April 2010 to March 2011 because of an electricity supply shortage. This moratorium has led to long delays for customers and has increased the time to obtain an electricity connection.
Areas of business regulation reform: Getting electricity (making it more difficult)
Rank in Doing Business 2012: 122     Rank in Doing Business 2011: 118

Bhutan eased business start-up by making its criminal records search electronic and intro
ducing rubber company stamps in the local market. The country improved its credit information system by passing RMA Act 2010, which provides for the creation of a public credit registry, and launching the operation of the registry.
Areas of business regulation reform: Starting a business, Getting credit (credit information)
Rank in Doing Business 2012: 142     Rank in Doing Business 2011: 146

In India the Maharashtra Finance Department eased the administrative burden of paying taxes for firms by introducing mandatory electronic filing and payment for value added tax.
Areas of business regulation reform: Paying taxes
Rank in Doing Business 2012: 132     Rank in Doing Business 2011: 139

Maldives
Rank in Doing Business 2012: 79     Rank in Doing Business 2011: 78

Nepal improved oversight and monitoring in the court, speeding up the process for filing claims.
Areas of business regulation reform: Enforcing contracts
Rank in Doing Business 2012: 107     Rank in Doing Business 2011: 110

Pakistan increased the profit tax rate from 20 percent to 25 percent for small firms.
Areas of business regulation reform: Paying taxes (making it more difficult)
Rank in Doing Business 2012: 105     Rank in Doing Business 2011: 96

Sri Lanka strengthened investor protections by requiring greater corporate disclosure in cases of transactions between interested parties. It made paying taxes less costly for businesses by abolishing the turnover tax and social security contribution and by reducing corporate income tax, value added tax, and national building tax rates.
Areas of business regulation reform: Protecting investors, Paying taxes
Rank in Doing Business 2012: 89     Rank in Doing Business 2011: 98

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For more information on Doing Business 2012, please contact:
Nadine Ghannam +1 (202) 473-3011 
E-mail: nsghannam@ifc.org 

Sushmitha Narsiah +1 (202) 473-0995   
E-mail: snarsiah@worldbank.org

Contacts for region-specific queries on Doing Business 2012:
South Asia

Minakshi Seth +91 (11) 4111-1058 
E-mail: mseth@ifc.org

Gabriela Aguilar +1 (202) 473-6768 
E-mail: gaguilar2@worldbank.org