Economy Profile Haiti - Doing Business 2020

The World Bank's Doing Business 2020 report provides a comprehensive assessment of Haiti's business regulatory environment, ranking the country 179th out of 190 economies with an overall score of 40.7. The report evaluates 11 key indicators that measure the ease of doing business, including starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, and protecting minority investors. Haiti performs particularly poorly in several areas, ranking last (189th) in starting a business, with entrepreneurs facing 12 procedures, 97 days, and costs equivalent to 179.7% of income per capita. The country also struggles with construction permits (179th), registering property (182nd), and protecting minority investors (183rd). However, Haiti shows relatively better performance in trading across borders, ranking 85th out of 190 economies. The report highlights significant challenges in Haiti's business environment, particularly in basic regulatory processes and legal frameworks. The methodology uses a standardized approach to ensure comparability across economies, focusing on domestic small and medium-sized enterprises in Port-au-Prince, Haiti's largest business city. These findings indicate substantial room for regulatory reform to improve Haiti's business climate and attract investment. The poor performance across most indicators suggests systemic issues that require comprehensive policy interventions to enhance the country's competitiveness and economic development prospects.