Doing Business: A Review of Literature and Its Role in APEC 2015

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Since 2006, the World Bank has been ranking almost 200 countries in terms of their ease of doing business (EoDB) to underscore the importance of a thriving private sector in promoting high and inclusive growth. Comparing these metrics for business friendliness among economic partners is more important now that multilateral agreements that promote integration—such as the ASEAN Economic Community—are ongoing. Subsequently, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) has its own specialized group that monitors the EoDB progress of its members. Through a comprehensive review of theoretical and empirical literature on doing business, and through an assessment of the relative doing business performance of APEC economies, this paper provides policy inputs to the APEC EoDB Initiative and initial policy guidelines and recommendations on what the Philippines could propose for further discussion and elaboration in the APEC EoDB work stream when it hosts the summit this year.