Niger
2009 rank: #172
2008 rank: #171
2008 rank: #171
Getting building permits is such a pricey and time consuming process in Niger that few developers bother: "Building permit? Who needs that? Just hire a contractor, tell him what you want, and out of the ground it comes," a local developer told World Bank researchers. But after two buildings collapsed in capital city Niamey, Niger adopted a new building law in March.
Launching a new business in Niger is expensive, with a paid-in minimal capital requirement that runs to more than 700% of the country's gross national per-capita income of $280. But the bureaucracy, at least, can be accomplished quickly, taking just 19 days.
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Source: All data comes from "Doing Business 2009," a publication of the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation. Detailed methodological information is available at www.doingbusiness.org.
LAST UPDATE: Sep 11 2008 | 1:19 PM ET
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