2017年-世界发展银行全球_Economy_Profile_of_Costa_Rica_66页_1mb

Doing Business 2018 Summary: Costa Rica

Core Content

The Doing Business 2018 report is a World Bank Group flagship publication that evaluates and compares business regulations across 190 economies. It focuses on the regulatory environment for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and measures the ease of doing business through 11 key indicators. The report aims to encourage regulatory reforms, provide benchmarks for improvement, and serve as a resource for understanding the business climate in different economies.

Key Indicators and Their Purpose

The report includes the following indicators, each measuring specific aspects of business regulation:

1. Starting a business – Procedures, time, cost, and minimum paid-in capital to establish a limited liability company.
2. Dealing with construction permits – Procedures, time, cost, and quality control mechanisms for building a warehouse.
3. Getting electricity – Procedures, time, cost, and reliability of electricity supply.
4. Registering property – Procedures, time, cost, and quality of land administration.
5. Getting credit – Movable collateral laws and credit information systems.
6. Protecting minority investors – Rights of minority shareholders in corporate governance and related-party transactions.
7. Paying taxes – Tax payments, time, and total tax rate.
8. Trading across borders – Time and cost to export and import goods.
9. Enforcing contracts – Time and cost to resolve commercial disputes.
10. Resolving insolvency – Time, cost, outcome, and recovery rate in insolvency cases.
11. Labor market regulation – Flexibility and job quality aspects.

Costa Rica Overview

Economic Profile

• Region: Latin America & Caribbean
• Income Category: Upper middle income
• Population: 4,857,274
• GNI Per Capita (US$): 10,840
• City Covered: San José

Ease of Doing Business

• Ranking: Costa Rica ranks 145th out of 190 economies.
• Distance to Frontier (DTF): 52.0 (on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 being the best performance).

Starting a Business in Costa Rica

• Procedures: 9 procedures for men, 9 for women.
• Time: 22.5 days for men, 22.5 days for women.
• Cost: 8.5% of income per capita.
• Minimum Paid-in Capital: 0% of income per capita (no initial capital required).

Key Procedures

Dealing with Construction Permits in Costa Rica

• Procedures: 17 procedures.
• Time: 135 days.
• Cost: 2.0% of warehouse value (CRC 305,419,810.20).
• Building Quality Control Index: 11.0 (on a scale of 0–15).

Key Procedures

Main Findings and Insights

• Starting a Business: Costa Rica has a relatively efficient process compared to other economies in the region, with fewer procedures and lower costs than the Latin America & Caribbean average.
• Dealing with Construction Permits: The process is lengthy and costly, with a higher number of procedures and longer time than OECD high-income economies. However, it is more efficient than the Latin America & Caribbean average.
• Comparison with Other Economies:
  • Procedure: Costa Rica performs better than the Latin America & Caribbean average but lags behind OECD high-income economies.
  • Time: Similar to the Latin America & Caribbean average, but less efficient than OECD high-income economies.
  • Cost: Costa Rica is more cost-effective than the Latin America & Caribbean average, but still higher than OECD high-income economies.
• Building Quality Control Index: Costa Rica scores 11.0, which is above the Latin America & Caribbean average (8.8) but below OECD high-income economies (11.4) and the best performers (15.00).

Methodology and Assumptions

• The report uses a standardized business model for consistency across economies.
• The business is assumed to be a limited liability company (S.A. in Costa Rica), with 5 domestic owners, 10–50 employees, and a start-up capital of 10 times income per capita.
• The warehouse is assumed to be a two-story building with a total area of 1,300.6 square meters, valued at 50 times income per capita.
• All procedures are based on legal and regulatory requirements, excluding bribes and professional fees unless mandated by law.
• Online procedures are counted as 0.5 days in the time calculation.
• The distance to frontier (DTF) score is calculated as the average of component indicators, with a scale from 0 to 100, where 0 is the lowest performance and 100 is the best.

Conclusion

The Doing Business 2018 report highlights the regulatory environment for businesses in Costa Rica, particularly focusing on the processes of starting a business and obtaining construction permits. While Costa Rica performs reasonably well compared to its regional peers, there is significant room for improvement, especially in reducing the time and cost associated with construction permits. The report serves as a valuable tool for policymakers and investors seeking to understand and enhance the business climate in Costa Rica.