2010年-世界发展银行全球_Enterprise_Surveys___Samoa_Country_Profile_2009_15页_1mb

Samoa Country Profile 2009: Enterprise Surveys Summary

Core Content Overview

The Samoa Country Profile 2009 provides an analysis of the business environment, focusing on key indicators such as infrastructure, trade, regulations, corruption, crime, finance, and innovation. The data is collected through the World Bank's Enterprise Surveys, which are conducted across all geographic regions and cover small, medium, and large firms in the non-agricultural formal private economy. The surveys are used to benchmark business environment characteristics and firm productivity against regional averages and income groups.

Main Topics and Key Indicators

1. Business Environment Obstacles

• The business environment in Samoa is perceived as having several challenges, including:
  • Corruption: A major administrative and financial burden.
  • Regulatory and licensing inefficiencies: Delays in obtaining permits and licenses.
  • Crime and informality: Increased operational costs and risks.
  • Infrastructure deficiencies: Power outages, water shortages, and delays in service provision.

2. Average Firm Characteristics

• Firm Age: The average firm in Samoa is 19.9 years old, with small firms being younger (17.1 years) and large firms older (24.9 years).
• Ownership Structure:
  • Sole Proprietorship is the most common form (46.3%).
  • Closed Shareholding Companies are also prevalent (39.4%).
  • Female Participation in Ownership is high (79.8%).
• Ownership by Sector:
  • Private Domestic firms dominate (84.1%).
  • Private Foreign firms account for 12.7%.
  • Government/State ownership is minimal (0.3%).

3. Infrastructure

• Electricity:
  • 5.2 power outages per month on average.
  • 6.2% of sales lost due to power outages.
  • Delays in obtaining an electrical connection average 9.8 days.
• Water Supply:
  • 4.1 water shortages per month.
  • Average water shortage duration is 6.3 hours.
  • Delays in obtaining a water connection average 5.5 days.
• Telephone Connections:
  • Delays in obtaining a mainline telephone connection average 7.9 days.

4. Trade

• Exporter Firms: 26.0% of firms in Samoa export directly or indirectly.
• Foreign Inputs: 100% of firms use foreign material inputs or supplies (only for the manufacturing sector).
• Customs Efficiency:
  • Average time to clear direct exports through customs: 5.9 days.
  • Average time to clear imports through customs: 14.5 days.
• Export Risks:
  • 0.0% of firms reported losses during direct export due to theft.
  • 1.7% of firms reported losses due to breakage or spoilage during export.

5. Regulations, Taxes, and Business Licensing

• Corruption Indicators:
  • 15.5% of firms in Samoa reported experiencing graft.
  • Gifts to tax inspectors: 19.6%.
  • Gifts to secure government contracts: 16.7%.
  • Gifts to obtain a construction permit: 25.2%.
  • Gifts to obtain an import license: 16.1%.
  • Gifts to obtain an operating license: 15.4%.
• Business Licensing Delays:
  • Import license: 6.9 days.
  • Construction permit: 28.3 days.
  • Operating license: 6.1 days.
• Government Interaction:
  • Senior management spends 12.1% of their time dealing with government regulations.
  • Average number of visits to tax officials: 1.2 times per year.

6. Corruption

• Graft Index: 15.5% of firms in Samoa reported being asked or expected to pay a bribe.
• Gifts in Meetings:
  • 19.6% of firms give gifts to tax inspectors.
  • 16.7% of firms give gifts to secure government contracts.
• Bribery for Licenses:
  • 25.2% of firms are expected to make informal payments for construction permits.
  • 16.1% for import licenses.
  • 15.4% for operating licenses.

7. Crime and Informality

• Perception of Court Fairness:
  • 61.7% of firms believe the court system is fair, impartial, and uncorrupted.
• Security Costs:
  • 3.0% of sales are spent on security.
• Losses from Crime:
  • 3.9% of sales lost due to theft, robbery, vandalism, and arson.
• Formal Registration:
  • 88.4% of firms are formally registered when they start operations.

8. Finance

• Internal Finance for Investment:
  • 48.5% of firms rely on internal funds.
• Bank Finance for Investment:
  • 31.0% of firms use bank financing.
• Working Capital External Financing:
  • 46.8% of firms use external financing for working capital.
• Collateral Requirements:
  • Collateral needed for a loan is 206.2% of the loan amount.
• Bank Access:
  • 51.3% of firms have bank loans or lines of credit.
  • 97.0% of firms have checking or savings accounts.

9. Innovation and Workforce

• Quality Certifications:
  • 31.3% of firms have internationally recognized quality certifications.
• Financial Statements:
  • 71.7% of firms have their annual financial statements reviewed by external auditors.
• ICT Usage:
  • 86.5% of firms use email for communication with clients/suppliers.
  • 32.8% of firms use their own website.
• Workforce Composition:
  • Average Temporary Workers: 4.4.
  • Average Permanent Workers: 33.8.
  • Female Full-Time Workers: 34.4% of the workforce.

Key Comparisons

• Regional Comparison (East Asia & Pacific):
  • Corruption: Samoa has lower incidence of graft than the regional average.
  • Infrastructure: Samoa has fewer power outages and lower security costs than the region.
  • Trade: Samoa has lower export and import clearance times than the region.
  • Finance: Samoa has higher collateral requirements and lower use of bank financing compared to the region.
• Income Group Comparison (Lower Middle Income):
  • Corruption: Samoa has a lower graft incidence than the income group average.
  • Infrastructure: Samoa has lower power and water shortages than the income group.
  • Finance: Samoa has higher internal finance usage and lower use of bank financing than the income group.

Conclusion

The Enterprise Surveys for Samoa highlight that while the country has a relatively low level of corruption and good access to financial services, it faces challenges in infrastructure efficiency, regulatory delays, and crime-related costs. The private sector is predominantly composed of sole proprietorships and closed shareholding companies, with high levels of female participation in ownership. Improvements in infrastructure and regulatory efficiency could significantly enhance firm productivity and competitiveness.