Opportunities for women

1
Opportunities for women
2
Doing Business Indicators
3
Making it Easier to Register Property in Ghana
Time reduced from 169 to 34 days
180
160
140
2006
120
100
Procedure eliminated Registration of deed and la
nd commission
Time (days)
80
60

40
2007
20
0
Preparation of the transfer document
Assessment and payment of stamp duty
Submit application for Title Certificate
Publication of transaction
Issuance of Title Certificate
Procedures
4
Top Reformers in 2006-07
5
Major Reforms in Trade 2006-07
6
Eastern Europe and Central AsiaCountries
Reformed the Most
Countries with at least one positive reform in
2006-'07 ()
E. Europe Central Asia 78.6
OECD 62.5
58.8
Middle East N. Africa
45.8
35.5
62.5 South Asia
East Asia Pacific
Latin America Caribbean
52.2
Sub-Saharan Africa
7
How Egypt Created a Flat Profit Tax
Time to reform
July 2004

January 2006
July 04 New reform-minded cabinet takes office
July 2004
The cabinet sets custom and tax reform as the
major priorities
The major proposed changes (such as flat
corporate tax of 20 and reduction of personal
income tax) are made public
Oct 04 Government announces intention to change
tax code
Nov 04 Cabinet approves new law
New law sent to Parliament to be ratified
Nov 04 Private sector review and public
discussion of new law
Public discussion with private sector and
international agencies while the law awaits
approval by the Parliament
The law receives little opposition, except from
the companies which previously enjoyed the tax
holidays and special exemptions now eliminated
Jun 05 Parliament approves new law
Focus groups followed by media campaign to inform
the public about the new tax law
June 1st 2005 law effective for personal income
Tax officials are trained (since Dec 2004) to be
familiar with a new law - new tax audit system
and electronic record system
New law takes effect, retroactive for all 2005
January 1st 2006 law effective for corporate
income
Source Doing Business database
8
Top 30 on the Ease of Doing Business 2007
0.33 x 0.5
9
Business Friendly Regulation Leads toMore
Registered Businesses and Start-ups
Business Density (registered firms per capita)
Business Entry (new firms in of registered fir
ms)
Easiest
Most difficult
Most difficult
Easiest
Countries ranked by ease of doing business,
quintiles
Source Doing Business database
10
and Higher Shares of Female Entrepreneursand
Women in the Labor Force
Female Entrepreneurs ( of entrepreneurs)
Female Unemployment ( of male unemployment)
Easiest
Most difficult
Most difficult
Easiest
Countries ranked by ease of doing business,
quintiles
Source Doing Business database, Enterprise
Surveys, WDI
11
What will be done in the next 2 years?

• Identify laws and regulations that discriminate
  against women. Example Kuwait prohibits women
  from working after 8pm.
  
• Investigate which reforms on business regulations
  have the largest impact on opportunities for
  women
  
• Prepare case studies of women entrepreneurs to
  describe the reasons for their success and the
  obstacles they faced.