Smes in asia and the pacific

1.1.3. Enabling environments for SMEs in the Asia-Pacific region
Although not specific to the SME sector, the World Bank’s annual Doing Business 
rankings comprise perhaps the most comprehensive survey of economies (181 in the 
latest iteration) and their differing business conditions. Briefly, the Doing Business 
exercise seeks to quantify and rate the ease of doing business in a country, based on 10 
components, comprising: (a) starting a business; (b) dealing with construction permits; (c) 
employing workers; (d) registering property; (e) getting credit; (f) protecting investors; (g) 
paying taxes; (h) trading across borders; (i) enforcing contracts; and (j) closing a business. 
Although there is some debate as to the methodological approach used for this exercise, 
the findings are useful in indicative terms and in spotlighting where a country’s main areas 
of strength and weakness lie, in terms of doing business. Table 3 shows the aggregate 
Doing Business 2009 rankings for Asia-Pacific economies covered.

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7
Economy
Rank
Economy
Rank
Singapore
1
Brunei
88
New Zealand
2
Solomon Islands
89
Hong Kong, China
4
Palau
91
Australia
9
Viet Nam
92
Japan
12
Marshall Islands
93
Thailand
13
Papua New Guinea
95
Malaysia
20
Sri Lanka
102
Republic of Korea 
23
Bangladesh
110
Azerbaijan
33
Nepal 
121
Fiji
39
India
122
Mongolia
58
Bhutan
124
Vanuatu
60
Micronesia 
(Federated States of)
126
Taiwan Province of China
61
Indonesia
129
Samoa
64
Cambodia
135
Kyrgyzstan 
68
Uzbekistan
138
Maldives
69
Philippines
140
Kazakhstan
70
Tajikistan
159
Pakistan
77
Afghanistan
162
Kiribati
79
Lao People’s 
Democratic Republic
165
China
83
Timor-Leste
170