Doing Business 2009 is the sixth in a
series of annual reports investigating
the regulations that enhance business
activity and those that constrain it. Doing
Business presents quantitative indicators
on business regulations and the protection
of property rights that can be compared
across 181 economies—from Afghanistan
to Zimbabwe—and over time.
Regulations affecting 10 stages of
the life of a business are measured: starting
a business, dealing with construction
permits, employing workers, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors,
paying taxes, trading across borders,
enforcing contracts and closing a
business. Data in Doing Business 2009 are
current as of June 1, 2008. The indicators
are used to analyze economic outcomes
and identify what reforms have worked,
where and why.