2012年-世界发展银行全球_Enterprise_Surveys___Dominica_Country_Profile_2010_15页_940kb

Dominica Country Profile 2010 Summary

Core Content Overview

The Dominica Country Profile 2010 is part of the World Bank Group's Enterprise Surveys, which evaluate the business environment across various sectors and firm sizes. The surveys provide qualitative and quantitative data to assess the factors that influence firm productivity, performance, and growth. This summary highlights the key findings from the survey, focusing on the main challenges faced by firms in Dominica and how they compare to regional and income group benchmarks.

Main Topics and Key Findings

1. Business Environment Obstacles

• The business environment in Dominica is shaped by several challenges, including corruption, regulatory inefficiencies, taxation, and infrastructure shortcomings.
• The top business constraints identified by firms in Dominica are:
  • Corruption: 1.6% of firms reported being asked or expected to pay bribes in the Graft Index.
  • Gifts in meetings with tax inspectors: 5.6% of firms expect to give gifts.
  • Import licenses: 3.7% of firms expect to make informal payments.
  • Operating licenses: 1.7% of firms expect informal payments.
• Comparison with regional averages:
  • Corruption is significantly lower in Dominica compared to Latin America and the Upper Caribbean.
  • The percentage of firms expected to give gifts is lower than regional averages, but higher than those in the upper middle income group.

2. Average Firm Characteristics

• The average firm in Dominica is 14.8 years old, with a slight variation by firm size:
  • Small firms: 13.9 years
  • Medium firms: 18.6 years
  • Large firms: 13.2 years
• Ownership structure:
  • Sole proprietorship is the most common (53.0%).
  • Closed shareholding companies are more prevalent than open shareholding companies (21.7%).
  • Private domestic firms dominate (80.3%).
  • Private foreign firms account for 19.7% of the firms.
• Female participation:
  • 23.6% of firms have female top managers.
  • 41.0% of firms have female participation in ownership.

3. Infrastructure

• Electricity:
  • Firms in Dominica experience 2.8 power outages per month, with 0.1% of sales lost due to these outages.
  • Delay in obtaining an electrical connection averages 5.6 days.
• Water:
  • Data is not available for the number of water shortages or average duration, but delay in obtaining a water connection is not reported.
• Telephone:
  • Delay in obtaining a mainline telephone connection averages 4.0 days.

4. Trade

• Export activity:
  • 32.3% of firms in Dominica export directly or indirectly.
  • 37.9% of manufacturing firms use foreign material inputs or supplies.
• Customs delays:
  • Average time to clear direct exports is 4.8 days.
  • Average time to clear imports is 6.9 days.
• Export losses:
  • No losses due to theft or breakage were reported for direct exports.

5. Regulations, Taxes, and Business Licensing

• Time spent dealing with government regulations:
  • Senior management spends 1.9% of time on government regulation requirements.
• Tax inspections:
  • 1.4 average visits or meetings with tax officials per firm annually.
• Business licensing:
  • Days to obtain an import license: 7.3 days.
  • Days to obtain an operating license: 2.6 days.
  • Closed shareholding companies are more common than open shareholding companies (21.7% vs 0.0%).

6. Corruption

• Graft Index: 1.6% of firms reported being asked or expected to pay bribes.
• Gifts in meetings with tax inspectors: 5.6% of firms expect to give gifts.
• Gifts to secure a government contract: 0.0% of firms expect to give gifts.
• Gifts for import licenses: 3.7% of firms expect to make informal payments.
• Gifts for operating licenses: 1.7% of firms expect informal payments.
• Comparison with regional averages:
  • Dominica's corruption levels are lower than Latin America and the Upper Caribbean but higher than the upper middle income group.

7. Crime and Informality

• Perception of court fairness: 58.2% of firms believe the court system is fair, impartial, and uncorrupted.
• Security costs: 0.7% of sales are spent on security.
• Losses due to crime: No losses were reported due to theft, robbery, vandalism, or arson.
• Formal registration: 97.4% of firms are formally registered when starting operations.

8. Finance

• Internal finance for investment is the most common source (71.2%).
• Bank finance for investment accounts for 22.1%.
• Working capital external financing is 22.3%.
• Collateral needed for a loan: 194.1% of the loan amount.
• Bank loans/lines of credit: 32.8% of firms use these.
• Checking or savings accounts: 100% of firms have these.

9. Innovation and Workforce

• Quality certifications: Only 1.3% of firms have internationally recognized quality certifications.
• External financial statement review: 49.0% of firms have their financial statements reviewed by an external auditor.
• Use of websites: 1.8% of firms use their own websites.
• Email usage: 70.8% of firms use email to communicate with clients and suppliers.
• Workforce composition:
  • Average number of temporary workers: 0.3.
  • Average number of permanent, full-time workers: 18.6.
  • Female full-time workers: 32.1% of the workforce.

Key Information and Comparisons

Conclusion

Dominica's business environment presents moderate challenges, particularly in corruption, infrastructure, and regulatory processes. However, the country performs better than the regional average in terms of corruption and gender participation. The financial system is relatively accessible, with a high percentage of firms having checking or savings accounts, though internal finance remains the primary source of investment. The informal sector is minimal, with nearly all firms being formally registered, and the court system is perceived as somewhat fair. These findings suggest that while Dominica has a relatively stable and accessible financial system, there is room for improvement in infrastructure, regulation, and reducing informal practices to enhance business efficiency and growth.