1. Simeon Djankov, Chief Economist
Private Sector and Finance, World Bank
Houston, April 8

2. World Bank Origins International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD)
Established July 1944 in
Bretton Woods. Mission?
To rebuild Europe and
Japan after World War II.
Mission today? Poverty reduction
through inclusive and sustainable development
Vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries

3. Bank’s Agencies
1945
1960
1956
1988
1966

4. Doing Business Indicators
2008
2009
Starting a business
Dealing with licenses
Employing workers
Registering property
Getting credit
Protecting investors
Paying taxes
Trading across borders
Enforcing contracts
Closing a business
Add Not paying bribes
Add Using infrastructure
Add Bahrain, Qatar, and the Bahamas (181 economies in total)

5. Making it Easier to Register Property in Ghana
Time reduced from 169 to 34 days
180
160
140
2006
120
100
Procedure eliminated:
Registration of deed and land commission
Time (days) 80 60 40
2007 20
Preparation of the transfer document
Assessment and payment of stamp duty
Submit application for Title Certificate
Publication of transaction
Issuance of Title Certificate
Procedures

6.  Top Reformers in 2006-07 Starting a business Dealing with licenses
1. Egypt
2. Croatia
3. Ghana
4. Macedonia
5. Georgia
6. Colombia
7. Saudi Arabia
8. Kenya
9. China
10. Bulgaria
Starting a business 
Dealing with licenses
Employing workers
Registering property
Getting credit
Protecting investors
Paying taxes
Trading across borders
Enforcing contracts
Closing a business

7. Eastern Europe and Central Asia Countries Reformed the Most
Countries with at least one positive reform in 2006-'07 (%)
E. Europe + Central Asia
78.6%
OECD
62.5%
58.8%
Middle East
+ N. Africa
35.5%
45.8%
62.5%
South Asia
East Asia + Pacific
Latin America + Caribbean
52.2%
Sub-Saharan Africa

8. Eastern Europe surpasses East Asia on the ease of doing business
Average rank, ease of doing business
High income
OECD
Eastern
Europe
& Central Asia
East Asia &
Pacific
Latin America
&
Caribbean
Middle
East &
North Africa
South Asia
Sub Saharan
Africa

9. Number of positive reforms
Easier Entry Regulations, Lower Taxes, Faster Property Transfers among the Most Popular Reforms in
Starting a business
Paying taxes
Registering property
Trading across borders
Getting credit
Dealing with licenses
Enforcing contracts
Closing a business
Protecting investors
Employing workers
Number of positive reforms

10. Longest export delays in South Asia and Africa
Time to export (in days) 36 32 29 25 24 22 10
High income
OECD
Latin America
&
Caribbean
East Asia &
Pacific
MENA
Eastern Europe
& Central Asian
South Asia
Sub Saharan
Africa

11. Top 30 on the Ease of Doing Business — 2007
0.33 x 0.5
1. Singapore
16. Switzerland
2. New Zealand
17. Estonia
3. United States
18. Georgia
4. Hong Kong, China
19. Belgium
5. Denmark
20. Germany
6. United Kingdom
21. Netherlands
7. Canada
22. Latvia
8. Ireland
23. Saudi Arabia
9. Australia
24. Malaysia
10. Iceland
25. Austria
11. Norway
26. Lithuania
12. Japan
27. Mauritius
13. Finland
28. Puerto Rico
14. Sweden
29. Israel
15. Thailand
30. Korea

12. Slow License Approvals, High Warehouse Rents
Ease of getting a license rank 16 6 16 17 20 14 37 46 40 12 60 84 10 80
Average monthly rent (US$ per square meter)*
Cost to rent a warehouse
(US $ per square meter)
Ranking on ease of getting a license 8
100 14 14
120 6 10
140 8 4 7 6 6 6
160 2
174
180
177
200
Copenhagen
Paris
Berlin
Brussels
Madrid
Amsterdam
Kiev
Moscow
*Excluding value added tax
Source: DOEL Partners, Doing Business 2008

13. Countries ranked by ease of doing business, quintiles
Business Friendly Regulation Leads to More Registered Businesses and Start-ups
Business Density
(registered firms per adults)
Business Entry
(new firms in % of registered firms)
Easiest
Most difficult
Easiest
Most difficult
Countries ranked by ease of doing business, quintiles
Source: Doing Business database

14. More Reforms, Higher Equity Returns
3-year Shareholder Returns
90%
80%
Egypt
70%
Colombia
60%
Brazil
50%
Poland
40%
India
30%
Sri Lanka
20%
10%
Venezuela 0% -6 -4 -2 2 4 6 8 10 12
Number of reforms,