2017年-世界发展银行全球_Economy_Profile_of_Afghanistan_65页_1mb

Summary of Doing Business 2018: Economy Profile of Afghanistan

Core Content of the Report

The Doing Business 2018 report, published by the World Bank Group, provides a comprehensive assessment of business regulations in 190 economies, including Afghanistan. It evaluates the regulatory environment for domestic firms across 11 key indicators, covering the entire life cycle of a business. The report aims to offer measurable benchmarks for reform, encourage more efficient regulation, and serve as a resource for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders interested in the business climate.

Main Indicators and Their Focus

Key Findings for Afghanistan

Starting a Business

• Procedures:
  • Men: 3 procedures
  • Women: 4 procedures (one additional step: obtaining husband's approval to leave home)
• Time:
  • Men: 7 days
  • Women: 8 days
• Cost:
  • Men and Women: 82.3% of income per capita
• Paid-in minimum capital: 0.0% of income per capita (no requirement)
• Comparison:
  • South Asia: 7.9 procedures, 15.4 days, 21.4% of income per capita
  • OECD high income: 4.9 procedures, 8.5 days, 3.1% of income per capita
  • Overall Best Performer: 1.00 procedures, 0.50 days, 0.00% of income per capita (New Zealand)

Dealing with Construction Permits

• Procedures: 13 procedures
• Time: 354 days
• Cost: 89.8% of warehouse value
• Building quality control index: 2.5 (out of 15)
• Comparison:
  • South Asia: 16.0 procedures, 193.9 days, 17.6% of warehouse value
  • OECD high income: 12.5 procedures, 154.6 days, 1.6% of warehouse value
  • Overall Best Performer: 7.00 procedures, 27.5 days, 0.10% of warehouse value (Denmark)

Critical Observations

• Regulatory Burden: Afghanistan faces a significant regulatory burden in both starting a business and dealing with construction permits.
• Gender Disparities: Women face an additional procedure (obtaining husband's approval) when starting a business, which increases the time and complexity of the process.
• Informal Payments: While the report does not include bribes in its calculations, informal payments are a common reality in the construction process, with inspections often requiring bribes.
• Quality Control: Afghanistan's building quality control index is low, indicating weak regulatory enforcement and limited transparency in building laws and regulations.
• Infrastructure Challenges: The lack of reliable water and sewerage infrastructure adds to the cost and time of construction, as businesses must construct their own wells and septic tanks.

Methodology Overview

• The report uses standardized scenarios to ensure comparability across economies.
• The business is assumed to be a 100% domestically owned limited liability company with five individual owners.
• The procedures, time, and cost are measured based on the largest business city, which in Afghanistan is Kabul.
• The data is collected using a methodology that excludes informal payments, focusing only on official procedures and costs.

Conclusion

The Doing Business 2018 report highlights the challenges Afghanistan faces in creating a favorable business environment. While the report provides valuable data and insights for reform, it underscores the need for improvements in regulatory efficiency, transparency, and infrastructure development to support economic growth and job creation.