2012年-世界发展银行全球_Enterprise_Surveys___Sri_Lanka_Country_Profile_2011_15页_1mb

Sri Lanka Country Profile 2011 Summary

Core Content

The Sri Lanka Country Profile 2011 is part of the Enterprise Surveys conducted by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). These surveys provide comprehensive data on the business environment in Sri Lanka, benchmarked against the South Asia region and the Lower Middle Income group of countries. The data is collected through face-to-face interviews with firm managers and owners in the non-agricultural formal private economy, covering various aspects such as infrastructure, trade, regulations, taxes, corruption, crime, finance, innovation, and workforce characteristics.

Main Topics and Key Indicators

1. Business Environment Obstacles

• The surveys identify the main constraints faced by firms in Sri Lanka.
• The top 10 constraints are compared with regional averages, highlighting areas needing improvement.
• Large, medium, and small firms report different levels of challenges, particularly in corruption, business licensing, and regulatory burden.

2. Average Firm Characteristics

• The average firm in Sri Lanka has been in operation for 23.2 years.
• Female participation in management and ownership is notable, with 8.8% of firms having a female top manager and 26.1% of firms having female participation in ownership.
• Ownership structure is mostly domestic private (97.6%), with 2.4% being foreign private and 0.1% being government/state owned.

3. Infrastructure

• Electricity failures are a significant concern, with 5.4 power outages per month and 3.0% of sales lost due to them.
• Water shortages occur 3.0 times per month, with 2.6 hours of average shortage duration.
• Delays in obtaining infrastructure services are high, particularly for water connections (73.7 days) and construction permits (69.2 days).

4. Trade

• 9.9% of firms in Sri Lanka are exporters, with 14.8% using foreign material inputs.
• Customs clearance delays for exports and imports are 7.6 days and 8.1 days respectively.
• Export losses due to theft and spoilage are 0.2% and 0.5% respectively, lower than regional averages.

5. Regulations, Taxes, and Business Licensing

• The time spent by senior management dealing with government regulations is 1.7%.
• Average number of meetings with tax officials is 1.3.
• Legal forms of firms include sole proprietorships (65.7%), closed shareholding companies (16.1%), and open shareholding companies (1.2%).

6. Corruption

• Corruption is a concern, with 10.2% of firms reporting graft index issues.
• Bribe expectations are higher for government contracts (18.2%) and construction permits (14.4%).
• Gifts to tax inspectors are reported by 7.7% of firms, with small firms being more affected.

7. Crime and Informality

• 74.7% of firms believe the court system is fair, impartial, and uncorrupted.
• Security costs account for 0.8% of sales.
• Losses due to crime are 0.1% of sales.
• Informality is present in 22.7% of firms, with 77.3% of firms being formally registered when they started operations.

8. Finance

• Internal finance is the primary source for investment, used by 53.5% of firms.
• Bank finance accounts for 35.4%, and external financing for 32.4% of working capital.
• Collateral requirements are high, with 193.6% of the loan amount needed on average.
• 40.4% of firms have bank loans or lines of credit.
• 89.4% of firms have checking or savings accounts.

9. Innovation and Workforce

• Only 9.1% of firms have internationally recognized quality certification.
• 60.3% of firms have annual financial statements reviewed by external auditors.
• 18.6% of firms use their own websites, and 30.5% use email for communication.
• Female participation in full-time employment is 24.0%.
• Average number of temporary workers is 4.6, and permanent workers is 35.3.

Key Findings

• Corruption and regulatory burden are significant obstacles for firms in Sri Lanka.
• Infrastructure deficiencies, especially in electricity and water supply, impact firm operations and productivity.
• Trade is relatively open, but customs delays and transport risks remain challenges.
• Financial access is limited, with high collateral requirements and relatively low use of external financing.
• Innovation and ICT usage are low, indicating a need for improvement in these areas.
• Workforce composition shows a preference for permanent employment, with female participation being moderate.

Conclusion

The Enterprise Surveys offer a detailed view of the business environment in Sri Lanka, highlighting areas where reforms are needed to improve productivity, competitiveness, and ease of doing business. The data underscores the importance of reducing corruption, improving infrastructure, enhancing financial services, and promoting innovation and workforce development. These insights are valuable for policy formulation and research aiming to foster economic growth and development.