Europe and Central Asia

Stakeholder Management in Business Registration Reforms - Lessons from 10 Countries (June 2009)

As business environment reforms expand into new areas of public policy, the intense conflicts inherent in reform are better recognized. A particular obstacle to reform lies in the active and passive resistance from stakeholders. This report provides policymakers and their advisers, with a practical set of approaches and strategies for managing stakeholder outcomes to accelerate and sustain business registration reforms. Using case studies from 10 countries, this report examines how diverse stakeholders participated in reforms aimed at reducing the costs, delays and corruption associated with the business registration functions of government. The analysis identifies how reformers can purposefully “manage” stakeholders to expand and sustain the capacity for change within the political economy.

Understanding and Improving Data on Entrepreneurship and Active Companies - Annex 1 (June 2008)

This paper examines the quality of the data in the World Bank Group Entrepreneurship Database (WBGED). The analysis concludes that despite the tremendous benefits and appeal of an international database of new company formation, the data in its current form is not fit for policy analysis and monitoring and evaluation purposes. The paper concludes by providing recommendations which may help countries, over time, to improve the quality of business registries and thus the quality and comparability of the WBGED data.

Understanding and Improving Data on Entrepreneurship and Active Companies - Report (June 2008)

This paper examines the quality of the data in the World Bank Group Entrepreneurship Database (WBGED). The analysis concludes that despite the tremendous benefits and appeal of an international database of new company formation, the data in its current form is not fit for policy analysis and monitoring and evaluation purposes. The paper concludes by providing recommendations which may help countries, over time, to improve the quality of business registries and thus the quality and comparability of the WBGED data.

Attracting Investment to South East Europe

This FIAS publication, released in November 2007, presents the findings of a survey of foreign corporate executives on the investment opportunities and challenges of South East Europe, a region considered a new frontier for investment within Europe. The findings indicate that an overwhelming majority of foreign investors are encouraged by the region's performance and optimistic about its prospects.

Improving the Business Environment in Latvia: The Impact of FIAS Assistance (November 2007)

This paper tracks the process through which FIAS, the investment climate advisory service of the World Bank Group advised the government of Latvia from 1998 to 2004 on ways to improve the business environment, achieve higher rates of economic growth, and thereby alleviate poverty.

Tracking Impacts of FIAS Assistance on Latvian Business Climate (May 2007)

This issue of the Monitor summarizes the results of a case study to track the practical connection between this FIAS project and poverty alleviation. After FIAS’s initial study on Latvia’s business environment, the Government assembled a series of reforms into an action plan to improve the business environment; as of 2003, 91 of 106 actions were implemented, many of them with FIAS assistance. The study found quantifiable benefits for businesses from the Government’s reform program, and several key international indicators of the investment climate in Latvia have shown clear signs of improvement (although not all indicators did).