Botswana led a record year for African reformers making it easier to do business, with 28 countries completing 58 improvements

Botswana was one of the world’s top three reformers of business regulations, according to “Doing Business 2009″, an annual report published by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Ghana was judged the best place to do business in West Africa for the second year in a row. Senegal has made it easier to start a business, register property, and trade across borders.

Burkina Faso introduced a new labor code and reforms for registering property, dealing with construction permits, and paying taxes. Botswana has cut the time to start a business, facilitated trade, and strengthened investor protections.

Post-conflict countries Liberia and Sierra Leone, along with Rwanda, were among Africa’s most active reformers of business regulations. “With more reforms of business regulations in Africa than in any previous year, we are seeing many countries get inspiration from their neighbors about how to get reform,” said Sabine Hertveldt, a co-author of the report. “Increasingly, countries in the region are committing to reform agendas that make it easier to do business,” she added.

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Source(s):
African Business