2012年-世界发展银行全球_Enterprise_Surveys___Belize_Country_Profile_2010_15页_942kb

Belize Country Profile 2010: Enterprise Survey Summary

Core Content Overview

The Belize Country Profile 2010 is part of the World Bank Group's Enterprise Surveys, which assess the business environment and firm performance in various countries. This report provides insights into key economic indicators, including corruption, regulations, infrastructure, trade, finance, innovation, and workforce dynamics, benchmarked against regional averages and income groups.

Main Points

Business Environment Obstacles

• The business environment in Belize is shaped by various challenges that impact firm operations and productivity.
• Firms in Belize perceive corruption, regulatory inefficiencies, and infrastructure deficiencies as major constraints.
• The Graft Index is a key indicator of corruption, showing the proportion of times firms were asked to pay bribes for public services.
• The top business obstacles are identified through survey data and include:
  • Corruption and informal payments
  • Regulatory and licensing processes
  • Infrastructure service delays

Average Firm

• The average firm in Belize is characterized by its age, ownership structure, and use of financial and technological resources.
• The average age of firms is 17.2 years, with variations by firm size.
• Ownership structure shows a high prevalence of sole proprietorships (60.5%) and a relatively low percentage of limited partnerships (7.8%) and open shareholding companies (0.0%).
• Female participation in management and ownership is notable, with 25.5% of firms having female top managers and 30.4% having female ownership participation.

Infrastructure

• Electricity and water supply are major infrastructure concerns.
• Power outages are frequent, with an average of 3.2 per month, and firms lose 0.1% of sales due to these outages.
• Water shortages occur 1.6 times per month, with an average duration of 3.7 hours, and firms lose 0.1% of sales due to these issues.
• Delays in obtaining infrastructure services such as electricity, water, and telephone connections are significant, with an average of 6.1, 3.4, and 9.1 days, respectively.

Trade

• Trade activity is an important aspect of the business environment.
• 21.2% of firms in Belize are exporters, and 73.9% use foreign inputs.
• Customs clearance times are relatively short, with 6.2 days for direct exports and 4.4 days for imports.
• Export losses due to theft or spoilage are minimal, at 0.0% for most firms, but 0.2% for some.

Regulations, Taxes, and Business Licensing

• Regulatory processes are a key concern, particularly for obtaining import licenses, construction permits, and operating licenses.
• The average time for obtaining an import license is 6.4 days, while construction permits take 32.0 days.
• Government regulations require firms to spend 3.9% of senior management time on compliance, and 1.7 average visits with tax officials.
• Ownership structures are dominated by sole proprietorships (60.5%), with closed shareholding companies (19.6%) and partnerships (12.2%) being less common.

Corruption

• Corruption is a significant issue, with 6.7% of firms expecting to give gifts during meetings with tax inspectors.
• The Graft Index for Belize is 1.0, indicating a relatively low incidence of bribes compared to the Latin America & Caribbean (LAC) average of 6.0.
• Informal payments for import and operating licenses are rare, with 0.0% of firms expecting to pay such gifts.

Crime and Informality

• Crime imposes security costs of 0.9% of sales and losses due to theft of 0.1% of sales.
• Only 54.5% of firms believe the court system is fair and impartial.
• Formal registration of firms at the time of operation is 79.2%, indicating a relatively low level of informality compared to other regions.

Finance

• Internal finance is the most common source of investment, with 76.3% of firms relying on it.
• Bank finance accounts for 18.1% of investment, with 36.2% of firms using external working capital.
• Collateral requirements for loans are high, at 182.4% of the loan amount.
• Access to banking services is high, with 100.0% of firms having checking or savings accounts.

Innovation and Workforce

• Innovation is limited, with only 0.7% of firms holding internationally recognized quality certifications.
• Use of technology is moderate, with 27.7% of firms having their own websites and 85.0% using email for communication.
• Workforce composition includes a high proportion of temporary workers (1.2 average) and permanent full-time workers (19.9 average).
• Female workforce participation is 47.2%, with a slightly lower proportion in medium-sized firms (37.8%).

Key Information Summary

Conclusion

The Belize Country Profile 2010 highlights the challenges firms face in a business environment influenced by corruption, inefficient regulations, and infrastructure deficiencies. Despite these obstacles, the country shows a relatively high level of formal registration and access to financial services. Innovation and technology use are limited, but female participation in management and ownership is relatively strong. The report serves as a valuable resource for policymakers and researchers aiming to improve the business environment and support firm productivity.