2010年-世界发展银行全球_Enterprise_Surveys___Niger_Country_Profile_2009_15页_1mb

Niger Country Profile 2009 Summary

Core Content

The Niger Country Profile 2009 is part of the Enterprise Surveys conducted by the World Bank and its International Finance Corporation (IFC). These surveys aim to evaluate the business environment in various countries, focusing on factors that influence firm productivity, performance, and growth. The data is collected through face-to-face interviews with firm managers and owners, covering a wide range of topics including infrastructure, trade, regulations, corruption, crime, finance, innovation, and workforce characteristics.

The profile provides a comparative analysis of Niger's business environment against the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region and the low-income group of countries. It highlights the challenges faced by firms in Niger and offers insights into how these challenges differ by firm size.

Main Topics Covered

1. Business Environment Obstacles

• Top Constraints: The surveys identify the main obstacles to business operations in Niger. These include corruption, crime, regulations, and inefficiencies in public services.
• Benchmarking: The constraints are compared with regional (SSA) and income group (low-income) averages.
• Firm Size Differences: The top 3 constraints are broken down by firm size (large, medium, small), showing variations in the perceived challenges.

2. Average Firm

• Firm Age: The average firm in Niger is 14.4 years old, with small firms being younger on average.
• Female Participation: Female participation in management and ownership is relatively low, with only 11.3% of firms having a female top manager and 17.6% having female participation in ownership.
• Ownership Structure: The majority of firms are sole proprietorships (63.4%), with a smaller share being closed shareholding companies (9.9%) and open shareholding companies (0.8%).

3. Infrastructure

• Electricity: Firms in Niger face frequent power outages (20.1 per month), with significant sales losses (1.9% of sales) due to these outages.
• Water Supply: Water shortages are less frequent than electricity issues, but still a concern, with an average shortage duration of 2.4 hours per month.
• Service Delays: Delays in obtaining infrastructure services like electricity and water connections are common, adding to operational costs.

4. Trade

• Export Activity: Only 10.6% of firms in Niger are exporters, with small firms having the lowest export rate.
• Foreign Inputs: Most firms (97.2%) use foreign material inputs or supplies, indicating a reliance on international trade.
• Customs Delays: The average time to clear customs for imports and exports is relatively short, but still contributes to operational costs.

5. Regulations, Taxes, and Business Licensing

• Business Licensing Delays: Obtaining an operating license takes an average of 39.7 days, with significant variations across firm sizes.
• Regulatory Burden: Senior management spends an average of 21.0% of their time dealing with government regulations.
• Legal Forms: Sole proprietorships dominate (63.4%), while open shareholding companies are rare (0.8%).

6. Corruption

• Graft Index: 20.5% of firms in Niger reported being asked or expected to pay a bribe, higher than the regional average of 7.3%.
• Gift Payments: A notable percentage of firms (up to 44.5%) expect to give gifts to secure government contracts, and 46.6% expect to pay bribes for construction permits.
• Informal Payments: Firms also expect to make informal payments for import licenses and operating licenses.

7. Crime and Informality

• Court Perceptions: Only 49.6% of firms believe the court system is fair, impartial, and uncorrupted.
• Security Costs: Security costs account for 1.2% of sales, reflecting the impact of crime on business operations.
• Informality: 90.5% of firms are formally registered when they start operations, but the informal sector remains a concern.

8. Finance

• Internal Finance: Most firms (89.4%) rely on internal financing for investment, with small firms showing higher dependence.
• Bank Finance: Only 7.8% of firms use bank financing for investment, indicating limited access to formal financial services.
• Collateral Requirements: A high proportion of collateral (229.6%) is required for loans, increasing financial barriers.
• Account Usage: Over 94% of firms have a checking or savings account, suggesting some level of financial inclusion.

9. Innovation and Workforce

• Quality Certification: Only 4.6% of firms have internationally recognized quality certifications, limiting access to international markets.
• Email and Website Use: 76.5% of firms use email for communication, and 23.9% have their own websites, indicating some digital engagement.
• Workforce Composition: The average firm employs 7.9 temporary workers and 15.6 permanent full-time workers. Female participation in full-time employment is around 13.4%.

Key Information

• Income Group: Low income.
• Population: 14,195,085.
• GNI per Capita: US$280.00.
• Region: Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Survey Methodology: Stratified sampling by industry, firm size, and geographic region.
• Data Sources: Qualitative and quantitative data from firm managers and owners.
• Survey Frequency: Repeated over time to track changes and evaluate the impact of reforms.

Conclusion

The Niger Country Profile 2009 provides a comprehensive overview of the business environment, highlighting major challenges such as corruption, regulatory inefficiencies, and infrastructure deficiencies. These obstacles affect firm productivity, growth, and access to financial services. The profile also emphasizes the prevalence of sole proprietorships, the relatively low level of innovation, and the limited role of women in management and ownership. Overall, the business environment in Niger is less favorable compared to regional and income group averages, particularly in terms of corruption and regulatory burdens.