Polish business environment worsening according to World Bank report

Poland suffered a fall by nine positions on the list and contrary to last year was not placed among the top 12 countries that have rapidly reformed their economies. The largest obstacles to doing business in Poland include the high cost of start-up capital, which amounts to 220% of annual GDP per head, and the time required to obtain licenses and permits. For example, it takes 322 days to obtain all permits required to build a w arehouse. Moreover, it also takes 197 days to enter real estate into the mortgage register in Poland, while in Norway one day is enough to do so. Serbia and Montenegro, Georgia, Vietnam and Slovakia are considered to be the top reformers while Poland was not included on the list at all, though last year the country was in ninth position. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B3) E.B.