Croatia slipped one place to rank 89th in the 2014 edition of the Doing Business Report of the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation that assesses the ease of doing business across 189 economies worldwide.
The ranking evaluates how easy or difficult it is for an entrepreneur to open and run a small to medium-size business when complying with relevant regulations.
Croatia scored better only in three areas (dealing with construction permits, paying taxes, trading across borders), while performing worse in seven others.
The country made starting a business easier by introducing a new form of limited liability company with a lower minimum capital requirement and simplified incorporation procedures. It made paying taxes easier for companies by introducing an electronic system for social security contributions and by reducing the rates for the forest and Chamber of Commerce contributions.
Cross-border trade was facilitated by improving the physical and information system infrastructure at the port of Rijeka and by streamlining export customs procedures in preparation for accession to the Common Transit Convention of the European Union.
Furthermore, Croatia improved the enforcement of contracts by streamlining litigation proceedings and transferring certain enforcement procedures from the courts to state agencies. It also made resolving insolvency easier by introducing an expedited out of court restructuring procedure.
Croatia |
2014 rank |
2013 rank |
Ease of doing business |
89 |
88 |
Starting a business |
80 |
79 |
Dealing with construction permits |
152 |
155 |
Getting electricity |
60 |
58 |
Registering property |
106 |
103 |
Getting credit |
42 |
40 |
Protecting investors |
157 |
156 |
Paying taxes |
34 |
43 |
Trading across borders |
99 |
104 |
Enforcing contracts |
49 |
48 |
Resolving insolvency |
98 |
97 |
Source: World Bank's Doing Business |
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