2012年-世界发展银行全球_Doing_Business_Economy_Profile_2013___Kuwait_118页_1mb

Economy Profile: Kuwait - Doing Business 2013 Summary

Core Content

The Doing Business 2013 report provides an analysis of the business environment in Kuwait, focusing on regulations affecting small and medium enterprises (SMEs). It evaluates 11 key areas of business regulation, including starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, resolving insolvency, and employing workers. The report also compares Kuwait's performance with other economies, offering insights into how regulatory reforms have impacted the ease of doing business.

Main Indicators and Rankings

Key Findings

• Ease of Doing Business Index: Kuwait ranked 82nd in 2013, a 5-point decline from 2012.
• Starting a Business: Kuwait requires 12 procedures, taking 32 days, with a cost of 1.1% of income per capita and a paid-in minimum capital of 56.7% of income per capita.
• Global Best Performer: New Zealand leads in starting a business, with only 1 procedure, taking 1 day, and costing 0.0%.
• Regional Comparison: Kuwait's ranking in the Middle East and North Africa region is 113th, with the regional average at 105.

Changes Over Time

• Paid-in Minimum Capital: Declined from 148.5% in 2004 to 56.7% in 2013, indicating a reduction in the capital requirement.
• Time to Start a Business: Stabilized at 32 days in 2013, with no significant change from 2012.
• Cost: Slightly decreased from 1.2% in 2012 to 1.1% in 2013.
• No Reforms Recorded: According to Doing Business data, no significant reforms were implemented in Kuwait for starting a business between 2008 and 2013.

Business Environment Overview

• Region: Middle East & North Africa
• Income Category: High income
• Population: 2,818,042
• GNI per Capita (US$): 47,982
• DB2013 Rank: 82
• DB2012 Rank: 77 (adjusted for data corrections and sample changes)

Methodology and Limitations

• Ease of Doing Business Index: Based on a simple average of percentile rankings across 10 topics.
• Distance to Frontier: Introduced in 2013 to measure how far an economy is from the best practices in each indicator.
• Assumptions:
  • No prior contact with officials.
  • No bribes.
  • Standardized company assumptions: limited liability company, located in Kuwait City, with 10–50 employees and general commercial/industrial activities.
• Limitations:
  • Does not measure proximity to markets, infrastructure quality, property security, or government transparency.
  • The indicators focus on a specific type of business, not all business forms.

Summary of Business Regulation Reforms

• No reforms recorded in Kuwait for starting a business in the period from DB2008 to DB2013.
• Reforms in other regions: Many economies have streamlined procedures, introduced technology, and reduced minimum capital requirements to improve business registration.

Key Areas of Business Regulation

Starting a Business

• Procedures: 12
• Time: 32 days
• Cost: 1.1% of income per capita
• Paid-in Minimum Capital: 56.7% of income per capita

Dealing with Construction Permits

• Rank: 119
• Procedures: 24
• Time: 130 days
• Cost: 96.1% of income per capita

Getting Electricity

• Rank: 55
• Procedures: 7
• Time: 42 days
• Cost: 43.6% of income per capita

Registering Property

• Rank: 89
• Procedures: 8
• Time: 47 days
• Cost: 0.5% of property value

Getting Credit

• Rank: 104
• Strength of Legal Rights Index: 4
• Depth of Credit Information Index: 4
• Public Registry Coverage: 0.0%
• Private Bureau Coverage: 31.0%

Protecting Investors

• Rank: 32
• Extent of Disclosure Index: 7
• Extent of Director Liability Index: 7
• Ease of Shareholder Suits Index: 5
• Strength of Investor Protection Index: 6.3
• Global Best Performer: New Zealand

Paying Taxes

• Rank: 11
• Payments (number per year): 12
• Time (hours per year): 98
• Global Best Performer: United Arab Emirates

Trading Across Borders

• Rank: 113
• Documents to Export: 7
• Time to Export (days): 16
• Cost to Export (US$ per container): 1,085
• Global Best Performer: Singapore

Enforcing Contracts

• Rank: 117
• Time (days): 566
• Cost (% of claim): 18.8%
• Global Best Performer: Luxembourg

Resolving Insolvency

• Rank: 92
• Time (years): 4.2
• Cost (% of estate): 10%
• Global Best Performer: Japan

Conclusion

The Doing Business 2013 report highlights that while Kuwait maintains a relatively high-income status and has a stable regulatory environment, it still lags behind many comparator economies and global best performers in several key areas. The report emphasizes the importance of continued reforms in business regulation to enhance the ease of doing business and attract more investment and entrepreneurship.