2014年-世界发展银行全球_Enterprise_Surveys___Bosnia_and_Herzegovina_Country_Profile_2013_15页_1mb

Bosnia and Herzegovina Country Profile 2013: Enterprise Survey Summary

Core Content Overview

The Bosnia and Herzegovina Country Profile 2013 is part of the Enterprise Surveys conducted by the World Bank and its partner, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), under the World Bank Group. These surveys aim to evaluate the business environment and firm performance across various sectors and firm sizes. The data is compared with regional and income group benchmarks, providing insights into the challenges and opportunities for businesses in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Main Topics Covered

• Business Environment Obstacles
• Average Firm Characteristics
• Infrastructure Quality
• Trade Dynamics
• Regulations, Taxes, and Business Licensing
• Corruption Levels
• Crime and Informality
• Finance and Investment
• Innovation and Workforce

Key Findings and Main Points

1. Business Environment Obstacles

• Firms in Bosnia and Herzegovina perceive a range of obstacles, including corruption, regulatory inefficiencies, and infrastructure deficiencies.
• The Graft Index (a measure of corruption) stands at 7.6, significantly lower than the regional average of 13.3.
• Corruption in government contracts is a major concern, with 7.6% of firms expecting to give gifts to secure such contracts.
• Construction permits are particularly problematic, with 9.6% of firms expecting informal payments.
• Import licenses also pose challenges, with 0.6% of firms expecting informal payments.

2. Average Firm Characteristics

• The average firm age is 17.2 years, with variations across firm sizes.
• Female participation in top management is 24.2%, and in firm ownership is 27.3%.
• Private domestic ownership dominates the private sector, accounting for 93.6% of firms.
• Foreign private ownership is relatively low at 5.3%, and government ownership is minimal at 0.4%.

3. Infrastructure

• Power outages are frequent, with 1.0 per month on average, and 0.3% of sales lost due to them.
• Water shortages occur 0.3 times per month, with 0.2 hours of average shortage duration.
• Delays in obtaining infrastructure services are significant, especially for construction-related permits, which take 146.7 days on average.

4. Trade

• 26.9% of firms are exporters, with 71.4% using foreign inputs.
• Export clearance time averages 2.8 days, while import clearance takes 4.2 days.
• Losses during exports due to theft and breakage are 0.3% and 0.2% of sales, respectively.

5. Regulations, Taxes, and Business Licensing

• Time to obtain an import license is 10.0 days, and operating license is 41.0 days.
• Senior management time spent on regulatory requirements is 14.5%, with 1.4 visits to tax officials per year.
• Open shareholding companies are rare, with only 3.2%, while closed shareholding companies account for 96.8% of firms.

6. Corruption

• Graft Index measures the frequency of informal payments for public services, with 14.3% of firms expecting to pay for an operating license.
• Gifts to tax inspectors are expected by 7.5% of firms.
• Corruption in government contracts is relatively low at 7.6%.

7. Crime and Informality

• Only 37.5% of firms believe the court system is fair, impartial, and uncorrupted.
• Security costs account for 0.4% of sales, with 0.3% of sales lost due to theft, robbery, etc.
• Formal registration is universal, with 100.0% of firms being formally registered when starting operations.

8. Finance

• Internal finance is the primary source of investment, with 62.1% of firms relying on it.
• Bank finance accounts for 23.9%, and trade credit for 8.0%.
• Collateral requirements are high, with 189.8% of the loan amount required.
• 66.3% of firms have bank loans or lines of credit, and 98.0% have checking or savings accounts.

9. Innovation and Workforce

• 32.0% of firms have internationally recognized quality certifications.
• 67.7% of firms have their annual financial statements reviewed by external auditors.
• 63.2% of firms use their own websites, and 96.0% use email for communication.
• Average number of permanent full-time workers is 30.3, with 1.2 temporary workers.
• 33.3% of firms employ full-time female workers.

Summary of Key Indicators

Conclusion

The Enterprise Surveys highlight that Bosnia and Herzegovina's business environment, while showing some improvements compared to regional and income group averages, still faces significant challenges, particularly in corruption, infrastructure, and regulatory efficiency. Despite these obstacles, the country has a relatively high level of formal registration and access to financial services, which supports the formal private sector. The data also reveals a growing reliance on international quality certifications and ICT usage, indicating some progress in innovation and digital transformation. However, the low participation of women in management and ownership and the high collateral requirements for loans suggest ongoing issues in gender equality and access to finance.