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STEP 1: Select the Questions - Click on any of the questions in which you are interested from the categories below. Note that you can select questions from different categories, for a maximum of 15. Then, at the bottom of the page, click on the 'submit' button to go to the country selection page.

 

Overall business environment

Under this heading is a set of generic constraints to business growth. Please note that these constraints are not reported under the other specific topics below. For instance, corruption is not listed also under the corruption category.

How problematic are obstacles in the business environment in the following areas?
     Financing
     Infrastructure
     Taxes and Regulations
     Policy Instability
     Inflation
     Exchange Rate
     Functioning of judiciary
     Corruption
     Street Crime
     Organized Crime
     Anti-competitive behavior by other enterprises or the government

Financial development

How problematic are the following financing issues for the operation and growth of your business?
     Collateral requirements of banks and financial institutions
     Paperwork
     High interest rates
     Need special connections with banks
     Banks lack money to lend
     Corruption of bank officials
     Lack access to foreign banks
     Lack access to equity partners
     Lack access to export finance
     Lack access to lease finance
     Inadequate credit information on customers
     Lack access to long term bank loans

Influence, lobbying and information flows

How much influence does your firm have, when a new law, rule, regulation, or decree is being discussed, with:
     Executive
     Legislature
     Ministry
     Regulator

If a government official acts against the rules, how often can you go to another official or his superior, to get the correct treatment without recourse to unofficial payments?

How often are businesses informed in advance of important changes in rules, regulations and policies that affect them?

How often are the concerns of businesses taken into account in the process of developing new rules, regulations and policies?

If you are interested in data on state capture in transition economies (BEEPS), please click here.

Legal system

How often do you associate the following descriptions with the court system in resolving business disputes?
     Fair and impartial
     Honest and uncorrupt
     Quick
     Affordable
     Consistent and reliable
     Able to enforce its decisions

To what degree do you agree that the legal system will uphold contract and property rights?
     Today
     Three years ago

Corruption

How frequently do firms in your line of business have to pay some irregular "additional payments" for any of the following?
     To get things done

On average, what percentage of revenues do firms like yours pay in unofficial payments per annum to public officials?

What percentage of the contract value is typically offered in unofficial payments when firms in your industry do business with the government?

How frequently is the following statement true?
     Firms in my line of business usually know in advance how much the "additional payment" is
     More than one official will require payment for the same service
     If a firm makes an "additional payment" the service is delivered as agreed.

Public services

How would you rate the efficiency of the government in delivering services?

How would you rate the quality and efficiency of the following public services?
     Customs
     Judiciary
     Police
     Armed forces
     Central government
     Parliament
     Central bank
     Roads
     Post
     Telephone
     Electricity
     Water
     Public health
     Education

Public policy

How predictable are changes in the following areas?
     Economic and Financial Policy
     Rules, Laws and Regulations

How helpful do you find the following branches of government towards businesses like yours?
     Central/national government today
     Central/national government three years ago
     Regional/local government today
     Regional/local government three years ago

Regulation

How problematic are the following regulations for the operation and growth of your business?
     Business licensing
     Customs/foreign trade regulations
     Labor regualtions
     Foreign currency regulations
     Environmental regulations
     Fire and safety regulations
     Tax regulations
     High taxes

What percentage of senior management time is spent dealing with government officials?

Information on laws and regulations is easy to obtain?

Interpretations of regulations affecting my firms are consistent and predictable. To what extent do you agree?

How often does the government intervene in the following types of decisions by your firm?
     Investment
     Employment
     Sales
     Pricing
     Mergers/acquisitions
     Dividends
     Wages

Firm behavior/performance

What percentage of sales of a typical firm in your business is reported to the tax authorities?

How serious are the following practices of your competitors for your firm?
     Avoid sales tax
     Avoid trade duties or regulations
     Foreign producers sell below international prices
     Domestic producers unfairly sell below my prices
     Violate my copyrights
     Collude to limit access to credit, supplies, land, equipment or customers
     Receive subsidies from national/local government
     Favored access to credit, infrastructure or customers

 

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