2011年-世界发展银行全球_Enterprise_Surveys___Barbados_Country_Profile_2010_15页_813kb

Barbados Country Profile 2010 Summary

Core Content Overview

The Barbados Country Profile 2010 provides an in-depth analysis of the business environment and firm performance in Barbados, as measured by the Enterprise Surveys conducted by the World Bank and its partner IFC (International Finance Corporation). The surveys focus on various factors influencing business operations, including infrastructure, trade, regulations, taxes, corruption, crime, finance, innovation, and workforce characteristics.

The data is benchmarked against the Latin America & Caribbean region and the High Income (non-OECD) income group. The report also includes firm size breakdowns (small, medium, and large) and provides insights into how different sectors and firm types interact with the regulatory and economic environment.

Main Views and Key Information

1. Business Environment Obstacles

• Key Constraints: Firms in Barbados face several business environment obstacles, including corruption, regulatory inefficiencies, and delays in obtaining permits and licenses.
• Benchmarking: These obstacles are compared to regional and income group averages to highlight performance gaps and areas for improvement.
• Perceived Issues: The report shows that firms in Barbados identify corruption, regulatory inefficiencies, and infrastructure shortcomings as major challenges.

2. Average Firm Characteristics

• Firm Age: The average firm in Barbados is 15 years old, with small firms being younger (12.8 years) and large firms older (22.3 years).
• Ownership and Management:
  • Female participation in management is 25.4% for the average firm, with small firms having the highest share at 31.9%.
  • Female participation in ownership is 43.5%, with small firms at 48.1%.
• Ownership Types:
  • Sole proprietorship is the most common form of ownership at 33.3%.
  • Closed shareholding is 26.9%, and Partnership is 20.0%.
  • Private foreign ownership is 9.5%, and Government/State ownership is 0.4%.

3. Infrastructure

• Electricity Supply:
  • Average power outages per month are 2.0.
  • Loss due to power outages is 0.2% of sales.
• Water Supply:
  • Water shortages occur 0.4 times per month.
  • Average duration of water shortages is 1.8 hours.
• Service Delays:
  • Delay in obtaining electrical connection is 24.7 days.
  • Delay in obtaining water connection is 49.5 days.
  • Delay in obtaining telephone connection is 29.1 days.

4. Trade

• Export Activity:
  • 23.3% of firms are exporters, with small firms at 18.7% and large firms at 52.3%.
• Use of Foreign Inputs:
  • 99.2% of firms use foreign material inputs or supplies.
• Customs Delays:
  • Average time to clear direct exports is 6.5 days.
  • Average time to clear imports is 7.6 days.
• Export Losses:
  • Theft accounts for 0.2% loss during direct exports.
  • Breakage or spoilage accounts for 0.0% loss.

5. Regulations, Taxes, and Business Licensing

• Regulatory Burden:
  • Time spent by senior management dealing with government regulation is 4.3%.
  • Average number of meetings with tax officials is 0.4.
• Permit and License Delays:
  • Days to obtain an import license is 28.1.
  • Days to obtain a construction-related permit is 106.0.
  • Days to obtain an operating license is 49.3.
• Business Structure:
  • Sole proprietorship dominates at 33.3%.
  • Closed shareholding is 26.9%, and Partnership is 20.0%.

6. Corruption

• Graft Index:
  • 2.9% of firms in Barbados were asked or expected to pay a bribe when applying for public services.
  • Latin America & Caribbean (LAC) average is 6.6%.
• Gift Payments:
  • 1.6% of firms expect to give gifts in meetings with tax inspectors.
  • 4.1% of firms expect to give gifts to secure a government contract.
  • 7.9% of firms expect to give gifts to obtain an operating license.

7. Crime and Informality

• Perception of Justice System:
  • 56.1% of firms believe the court system is fair, impartial, and uncorrupted.
• Security Costs:
  • 0.4% of sales are spent on security.
• Losses Due to Crime:
  • 0.1% of sales are lost due to theft, robbery, vandalism, or arson.
• Formal Registration:
  • 82.8% of firms are formally registered when they start operations.

8. Finance

• Internal Finance for Investment:
  • 72.6% of firms rely on internal financing.
• External Financing:
  • 12.8% use bank finance, 10.1% use trade credit, and 0.8% use equity or stock sales.
• Working Capital:
  • 30.5% of firms use external financing for working capital.
• Collateral Requirements:
  • 138.1% of the loan amount is required as collateral.
• Bank Access:
  • 58.2% of firms have bank loans or lines of credit.
  • 97.4% of firms have checking or savings accounts.

9. Innovation and Workforce

• Quality Certifications:
  • 18.3% of firms have internationally recognized quality certifications.
• External Audits:
  • 69.8% of firms have annual financial statements reviewed by external auditors.
• Website Usage:
  • 68.2% of firms use their own websites.
• Email Communication:
  • 100.0% of firms use email to communicate with clients and suppliers.
• Workforce Composition:
  • Average number of temporary workers is 3.5.
  • Average number of permanent, full-time workers is 29.8.
  • 48.2% of firms employ full-time female workers.

Conclusion

The Enterprise Surveys highlight that while Barbados has a relatively well-developed financial system and high access to banking services, it still faces significant challenges in corruption, regulatory efficiency, and infrastructure quality. These issues affect firm productivity, investment decisions, and operational costs. Additionally, the informal sector is present but not dominant, and gender participation in management and ownership is moderate compared to the regional average. The report underscores the importance of improving business environment conditions to foster sustainable economic growth and development.