Beyond Good Regulations : Closing the Public Services Gap to Promote Private Sector Development

Overview & Synopsis

Most economies have sound business regulations, yet fewer than 7 percent of economies provide public services that match or exceed the quality of their business regulations, thereby closing the public services gap. Significant improvement is possible, particularly for lower-income economies, through digitization and more agile, affordable service delivery, which can lower compliance burdens regardless of how well-off an economy is. Economies that narrow these gaps typically combine user-oriented digital systems with streamlined administrative processes. Additionally, economies that are more business-ready exhibit balanced performance across all measured areas of the business environment, rather than being selectively exceptional.