Reports

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Doing Business 2010

Reforming through difficult times
Author: Doing Business
Published: September 09, 2009
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Overview

Doing Business 2010 reported a record number of reforms between June 2008 and May 2009, despite the challenges presented by the financial crisis. This year’s reformers focused on making it easier to start and operate a business, pay taxes, and reform bankruptcy procedures to help keep companies operating and preserve jobs during tough economic times. Two regions were particularly active: Eastern Europe and Central Asia and the Middle East and North Africa. Within both regions, competition among neighbors helped inspire widespread reform.

Main findings

  • Between June 2008 and May 2009, 287 reforms were recorded in 131 economies, 20% more than the year before. 
  • In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, 26 of the region’s 27 economies reformed business regulation in at least one area covered by Doing Business.
  • In the Middle East and North Africa, 17 of the region’s 19 economies reformed. 
  • Singapore, a consistent reformer, was the top-ranked economy on the ease of doing business for the fourth year in a row, with New Zealand as runner-up. 
  • Two-thirds of the year’s reforms were found in low- and lower-middle-income economies.