Doing Business 2007 : How to Reform

Doing Business 2007: How to reform is
the fourth 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 regulations and the protection of
property rights that can be compared across 175
economies-from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe-and over time. This
publication points out how regulations affecting 10 areas of
everyday business are measured: starting a business, dealing
with licenses, employing workers, registering property,
getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading
across borders, enforcing contracts and closing a business.
The indicators are used to analyze economic outcomes and
identify what reforms have worked, where and why. The study
stresses that there are 4 steps to successful reform: 1)
Start simple and consider administrative reforms that
don't need legislative changes; 2) Cut unnecessary
procedures, reducing the number of bureaucrats entrepreneurs
interact with; 3) Introduce standard application forms and
publish as much regulatory information as possible; 4) And
remember: many of the frustrations for businesses come from
how regulations are administered. The internet alleviates
these frustrations without changing the spirit of the regulation.