Professor Frank Gunter of Lehigh university is presenting a report for the IBBC Advisory Council on ‘Ease of Business in Iraq’ at the IBBC Dubai conference. Here he outlines the scope of his work and the purpose behind the report.

After a four-year pause, the World Bank has launched a revised system of evaluating individual countries’ business environments. The new system, entitled Business Ready, assesses the quality of business regulation, the provision of public services, and operational efficiency for ten topics related to private sector development. Iraq is one of the fifty countries evaluated in the first Business Ready report. Among the ten topics, Iraq scored highest in Utility Services, Labor, and Business Entry and lowest in Business Insolvency, Market Competition, and Taxation.

This IBBC Report examines the strengths and weaknesses of the revised World Bank evaluation system, summarizes the Business Ready results for Iraq, and compares these results to those of other upper-middle income countries. In addition, data and analysis from international organizations and private firms that support or contradict the World Bank results are considered. The report ends with a discussion of the challenges involved in setting policy priorities to create a vibrant private sector in Iraq.

Register here to attend the conference and to hear Professor Gunter’s presentation and attend his round table.