For the first time, the World Bank, in cooperation with academics, consultancy companies, and law firms measured the costs of five basic business development functions in 130 countries. The Doing Business report analyzes how regulation and legal systems affect the companies' capacity to get government registrations, credit, to hire and fire employees, enforce agreements, and to go through the several bankruptcy courts.

"The report provides policy makers and the public with quantitative measures on business regulations-data that will facilitate the reform efforts of governments," said Michael Klein, World Bank/IFC vice president for Private Sector Development and IFC chief economist.
 
Doing Business in 2004 offers answers to these critical questions:
 
- Which countries regulate businesses the most?
- Is regulation an outcome of efficient social choice, or has it persisted because of inertia and a lack of capacity for reform?
- What are the main obstacles to regulatory reform?
- What are the best regulatory models?
 
Indicators and analysis, and information on ordering the report, are available on the Doing Business website: http://rru.worldbank.org/doingbusiness/