Transition report 2005: Business in transition

This year’s Transition Report draws on the findings of the latest Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS). While the business environment in the transition region has generally improved since the last survey in 2002, there is considerable variation between countries. The Report analyses what kinds of firms are particularly affected by a difficult business environment and compares the transition countries with mature market economies. The high costs of business regulation, a poor institutional framework, weak property rights and an unstable macroeconomic environment all emerge from the survey as major obstacles to doing business in transition countries. The Report also takes a close look at the performance of enterprises in the region. It assesses what types of firms – private or state-owned, foreign or domestic – have been the most successful in increasing their sales and improving efficiency and highlights the main factors that influence a firm’s performance.

Full text of report is not freely accessible on the web: only a summary.