Doing Business 2008: Large Emerging Markets Reforming Fast; Egypt the Top Reformer, Eastern Europe Overtakes East Asia on Ease of Doing Business

Thanks to reforms of business regulation, more businesses are starting up, finds Doing Business 2008—the fifth in an annual report series issued by the World Bank and IFC. Countries in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union reformed the most in 2006/07—along with a large group of emerging markets, including China and India.

This year Egypt tops the list of reformers that are making it easier to do business. Egypt greatly improved its position in the global rankings on the ease of doing business, with reforms in five of the 10 areas studied by the report. And for the second year running, Singapore tops the aggregate rankings on the ease of doing business