September 9, 2009—A record 131 economies around the globe reformed business regulation in 2008/09, according to the IFC–World Bank Doing Business 2010 report.
That is more than 70 percent of the 183 economies covered by the report—the largest share in any year since the annual report was first published in 2004. And this progress came against the backdrop of a global economic crisis.
Doing Business 2010: Reforming through Difficult Times recorded 287 reforms between June 2008 and May 2009, up 20 percent from the previous year. Reformers around the world focused on making it easier to start and operate businesses, strengthening property rights, and improving commercial dispute resolution and bankruptcy procedures.
Report highlights:
- Governments set new record in business regulation reform
- Rwanda is this year's top reformer, the first Sub-Saharan African country to be named top reformer
- Eastern Europe and Central Asia is the fastest reforming region
To learn more about the report, visit
www.doingbusiness.org.
For more information contact:
Nadine Ghannam
Phone: +1 (202) 473-3011
E-mail: nsghannam@ifc.org
