2014年-世界发展银行全球_Enterprise_Surveys___Serbia_Country_Profile_2013_15页_1mb

Serbia Country Profile 2013 Summary

Core Content

The Serbia Country Profile 2013 is part of the Enterprise Surveys conducted by the World Bank and its partners, including the International Finance Corporation (IFC). These surveys aim to assess the business environment and firm performance across various sectors, providing insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by firms in Serbia and comparing them to regional and income group benchmarks.

The surveys focus on the non-agricultural formal private economy, covering a representative sample of firms across different industries and firm sizes. The data is used to evaluate key indicators such as corruption, regulations, infrastructure, trade, finance, innovation, and workforce characteristics.

Main Topics and Indicators

1. Business Environment Obstacles

• The business environment in Serbia is shaped by various constraints that affect firm operations and growth.
• Top 10 constraints are benchmarked against the Eastern Europe & Central Asia region and Upper Middle Income countries.
• Top 3 constraints are analyzed by firm size (small, medium, large), revealing different challenges across sectors.

2. Average Firm Characteristics

• The average firm in Serbia has been in operation for 15.4 years.
• Female participation in top management and ownership is relatively high, with 25.7% of firms having female top managers and 38.3% having female ownership.
• Ownership composition shows that 93.6% of firms are privately domestic, 6.1% are private foreign, and 0.2% are government/state.

3. Infrastructure

• Electricity failures are a significant concern, with 0.9 power outages per month and 0.5% of sales lost due to these outages.
• Water shortages are less frequent, with 0.3 shortages per month, but medium firms face longer delays in obtaining water connections (532.4 hours).
• Delays in obtaining infrastructure services such as electricity, water, and telephone connections are high, with 50.5 days for electricity and 155.4 days for water connections.

4. Trade

• 29.3% of firms in Serbia export, with 71.3% using foreign material inputs or supplies.
• Customs clearance times are relatively short, with 2 days for direct exports and 5.7 days for imports.
• Transport risks are low, with 0.4% of sales lost due to breakage or spoilage during exports.

5. Regulations, Taxes, and Business Licensing

• Regulatory burden is high, with 124.8 days needed to obtain a construction-related permit.
• Senior management time spent on regulatory requirements averages 13.5%.
• Tax inspections are frequent, with an average of 1.3 visits per firm.
• Legal forms are predominantly closed shareholding companies, with 97.1% of firms in this category.

6. Corruption

• Corruption is a notable issue, with 5.9% of firms reporting graft in Serbia, compared to 0.1% in the region and 7.5% in the income group.
• Bribe expectations are higher for government contracts (40.2%) and construction permits (15.8%), with medium firms being more likely to give gifts to secure contracts (64.0%) compared to large firms (5.0%).

7. Crime and Informality

• Only 26.5% of firms believe the court system is fair, impartial, and uncorrupted.
• Security costs average 0.5% of sales, with medium firms facing higher losses due to theft and vandalism (0.5% of sales).
• Informality is low, with 98.8% of firms formally registered when starting operations.

8. Finance

• Internal finance is the most common source for investment, with 59.0% of firms relying on it.
• Bank finance accounts for 15.3%, and trade credit for 18.4%.
• External working capital financing is used by 38.5% of firms.
• Collateral requirements for loans are high, with 140.3% of the loan amount needed on average.
• 98.8% of firms have checking or savings accounts, indicating a relatively developed financial system.

9. Innovation and Workforce

• 23.6% of firms have internationally recognized quality certification.
• 44.3% of firms have annual financial statements reviewed by external auditors.
• 60.7% of firms use their own websites for business communication.
• Email usage is widespread, with 92.6% of firms using it to communicate with clients and suppliers.
• Workforce composition shows a high percentage of full-time female workers (48.0%), and a significant use of temporary workers (1.2 on average).

Key Findings

• Corruption and regulatory inefficiencies are major obstacles for firms in Serbia.
• Infrastructure remains a challenge, particularly in the water supply and electricity access.
• Trade is relatively open, with a high percentage of firms using foreign inputs, but customs delays and transport risks still pose some issues.
• Financial systems are somewhat developed, with external financing being a common source for working capital.
• Innovation and ICT usage are present but not widespread, with only 23.6% of firms holding international quality certifications.
• Female participation in management and ownership is relatively high, but workforce diversity is still limited in terms of contract types and gender representation in certain roles.

Data Sources and Methodology

• The data is collected through face-to-face interviews with firm managers and owners.
• The sample is stratified by industry, firm size, and geographic region.
• Regional and income group benchmarks are calculated based on available country-level data.
• Notes indicate that some indicators are specific to the manufacturing sector.

Conclusion

The Enterprise Surveys for Serbia in 2013 provide a comprehensive overview of the business environment and firm performance. While there are some positive aspects such as a relatively high level of formal registration and female participation, significant challenges remain in corruption, infrastructure, and regulatory efficiency. These findings are crucial for policy development and business planning, highlighting areas for improvement in the country's economic framework.