For the second consecutive year, Croatia has ranked among the leading reforming countries, moving up 27 places in the overall ranking of 178 countries worldwide based on ease of doing business this year, thus placing itself among the countries that actively implement reforms and attract investors.
This was stated at today’s presentation of this year’s World Bank report on the business environment in 178 countries titled "Doing Business 2008" by Michael Klein, Vice President of the World Bank for Financial and Private Sector Development and Chief Economist of the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The reforms that brought Croatia to the second place among leading global reformers, behind Egypt, include reforms in the implementation of property registration, starting and closing businesses, and obtaining credit. Klein highlighted the most significant reforms, including the commencement of operations of the Croatian Credit Obligations Register (HROK) and the Register of Judicial and Notary Securities, as well as the amended Bankruptcy Law.
He also welcomed the government’s "regulatory guillotine" project Hitrorez, emphasizing that very few countries in the world, mostly developed countries, have implemented such a reform, and if Hitrorez is fully implemented, further progress for Croatia should be expected. The "Doing Business" report, in addition to the overall ranking, where Croatia ranked 97th this year, also provides rankings of countries based on specific indicators of ease of doing business, and from these rankings, Klein stated, countries should actually read which areas require additional effort. Thus, in areas where reforms have truly been implemented, Croatia ranks among the 50 most advanced countries in the world – in the area of tax payment (43rd), contract enforcement (45th), and obtaining credit (48th). However, for example, in the area of obtaining permits, Croatia ranked 162nd among 178 countries, in the area of employment of workers 139th, and in investor protection 122nd.
