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Cover design: The Word Express Doing Business 2014 Italy 3 CONTENTS Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 4 The business environment .......................................................................................................... 5 Starting a business ..................................................................................................................... 14 Dealing with construction permits ........................................................................................... 23 Getting electricity ....................................................................................................................... 32 Registering property .................................................................................................................. 39 Getting credit .............................................................................................................................. 48 Protecting investors ................................................................................................................... 55 Paying taxes ................................................................................................................................ 64 Trading across borders .............................................................................................................. 71 Enforcing contracts .................................................................................................................... 79 Resolving insolvency .................................................................................................................. 89 Employing workers .................................................................................................................... 94 Data notes ................................................................................................................................. 101 Resources on the Doing Business website ............................................................................ 107 Doing Business 2014 Italy 4 INTRODUCTION Doing Business sheds light on how easy or difficult it is the paying taxes indicators, which cover the period for a local entrepreneur to open and run a small to January–December 2012). medium-size business when complying with relevant The Doing Business methodology has limitations. Other regulations. It measures and tracks changes in areas important to business—such as an economy’s regulations affecting 11 areas in the life cycle of a proximity to large markets, the quality of its business: starting a business, dealing with construction infrastructure services (other than those related to permits, getting electricity, registering property, trading across borders and getting electricity), the getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, security of property from theft and looting, the trading across borders, enforcing contracts, resolving transparency of government procurement, insolvency and employing workers. macroeconomic conditions or the underlying strength In a series of annual reports Doing Business presents of institutions—are not directly studied by Doing quantitative indicators on business regulations and the Business. The indicators refer to a specific type of protection of property rights that can be compared business, generally a local limited liability company across 189 economies, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, operating in the largest business city. Because over time. The data set covers 47 economies in Sub- standard assumptions are used in the data collection, Saharan Africa, 33 in Latin America and the Caribbean, comparisons and benchmarks are valid across 25 in East Asia and the Pacific, 25 in Eastern Europe economies. The data not only highlight the extent of and Central Asia, 20 in the Middle East and North obstacles to doing business; they also help identify the Africa and 8 in South Asia, as well as 31 OECD high- source of those obstacles, supporting policy makers in income economies. The indicators are used to analyze designing regulatory reform. economic outcomes and identify what reforms have More information is available in the full report. Doing worked, where and why. Business 2014 presents the indicators, analyzes their This economy profile presents the Doing Business relationship with economic outcomes and presents indicators for Italy. To allow useful comparison, it also business regulatory reforms. The data, along with provides data for other selected economies information on ordering Doing Business 2014, are (comparator economies) for each indicator. The data in available on the Doing Business website at this report are current as of June 1, 2013 (except for http://www.doingbusiness.org. Doing Business 2014 Italy 5 THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT For policy makers trying to improve their economy’s regulatory environment for business, a good place to ECONOMY OVERVIEW start is to find out how it compares with the regulatory environment in other economies. Doing Business provides an aggregate ranking on the ease of doing Region: OECD high income business based on indicator sets that measure and benchmark regulations applying to domestic small to Income category: High income medium-size businesses through their life cycle. Economies are ranked from 1 to 189 by the ease of Population: 60,917,978 doing business index. For each economy the index is calculated as the ranking on the simple average of its GNI per capita (US$): 33,840 percentile rankings on each of the 10 topics included in the index in Doing Business 2014: starting a business, DB2014 rank: 65 dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting DB2013 rank: 67* investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, Change in rank: 2 enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency. The ranking on each topic is the simple average of the DB 2014 DTF: 67.38 percentile rankings on its component indicators (see the data notes for more details). The employing workers DB 2013 DTF: 66.59 indicators are not included in this year’s aggregate ease of doing business ranking, but the data are presented Change in DTF: 0.78 in this year’s economy profile. The aggregate ranking on the ease of doing business * DB2013 ranking shown is not last year’s published benchmarks each economy’s performance on the ranking but a comparable ranking for DB2013 that indicators against that of all other economies in the captures the effects of such factors as data Doing Business sample (figure 1.1). While this ranking corrections and the addition of 4 economies (Libya, tells much about the business environment in an Myanmar, San Marino and South Sudan) to the economy, it does not tell the whole story. The ranking on sample this year. See the data notes for sources and the ease of doing business, and the underlying definitions. indicators, do not measure all aspects of the business environment that matter to firms and investors or that affect the competitiveness of the economy. Still, a high ranking does mean that the government has created a regulatory environment conducive to operating a business. Doing Business 2014 Italy 6 THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT Figure 1.1 Where economies stand in the global ranking on the ease of doing business Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 7 THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT For policy makers, knowing where their economy relative to the regional average (figure 1.2). The stands in the aggregate ranking on the ease of economy’s rankings on the topics included in the doing business is useful. Also useful is to know how ease of doing business index provide another it ranks relative to comparator economies and perspective (figure 1.3). Figure 1.2 How Italy and comparator economies rank on the ease of doing business Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 8 THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT Figure 1.3 How Italy ranks on Doing Business topics Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 9 THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT Just as the overall ranking on the ease of doing business Doing Business introduced the distance to frontier tells only part of the story, so do changes in that ranking. measure. This measure shows how far on average an Yearly movements in rankings can provide some indication economy is from the best performance achieved by any of changes in an economy’s regulatory environment for economy on each Doing Business indicator since 2005, firms, but they are always relative. except for the getting electricity indicators, which were introduced in 2009. Moreover, year-to-year changes in the overall rankings do not reflect how the business regulatory environment in an Comparing the measure for an economy at 2 points in economy has changed over time—or how it has changed time allows users to assess how much the economy’s in different areas. To aid in assessing such changes, regulatory environment as measured by Doing Business has changed over time—how far it has moved toward (or away from) the most efficient practices and strongest regulations in areas covered by Doing Business (figure 1.4). Figure 1.4 How far has Italy come in the areas measured by Doing Business? Note: The distance to frontier measure shows how far on average an economy is from the best performance achieved by any economy on each Doing Business indicator since 2005, except for the getting electricity indicators, which were introduced in 2009. The measure is normalized to range between 0 and 100, with 100 representing the best performance (the frontier). The overall distance to frontier is the average of the distance to frontier in the first 9 indicator sets shown in the figure and does not include getting electricity. Data on the overall distance to frontier including getting electricity is available at http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/distance-to-frontier. See the data notes for more details on the distance to frontier measure. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 10 THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT The absolute values of the indicators tell another part business regulation—such as a regulatory process that of the story (table 1.1). The indicators, on their own or can be completed with a small number of procedures in comparison with the indicators of a good practice in a few days and at a low cost. Comparison of the economy or those of comparator economies in the economy’s indicators today with those in the previous region, may reveal bottlenecks reflected in large year may show where substantial bottlenecks persist — numbers of procedures, long delays or high costs. Or and where they are diminishing. they may reveal unexpected strengths in an area of Table 1.1 Summary of Doing Business indicators for Italy United Kingdom DB2014 Best performer globally Switzerland DB2014 Germany DB2014 Belgium DB2014 Indicator France DB2014 Spain DB2014 Italy DB2014 Italy DB2013 DB2014 Starting a Business 90 84 49 41 111 142 104 28 New Zealand (1) (rank) Procedures (number) 6 6 3 5 9 10 6 6 New Zealand (1)* Time (days) 6.0 6.0 4.0 6.5 14.5 23.0 18.0 12.0 New Zealand (0.5) Cost (% of income per 14.2 16.5 5.2 0.9 4.7 4.7 2.0 0.3 Slovenia (0.0) capita) Paid-in Min. Capital (% 9.8 9.7 18.2 0.0 0.0 13.4 25.6 0.0 112 Economies (0.0)* of income per capita) Dealing with Hong Kong SAR, Construction Permits 112 101 100 92 12 98 58 27 China (1) (rank) Hong Kong SAR, Procedures (number) 11 11 13 9 9 9 13 12 China (6) Time (days) 233.5 233.5 214.0 184.0 97.0 230.0 154.0 88.0 Singapore (26.0) Doing Business 2014 Italy 11 United Kingdom DB2014 Best performer globally Switzerland DB2014 Germany DB2014 Belgium DB2014 Indicator France DB2014 Spain DB2014 Italy DB2014 Italy DB2013 DB2014 Cost (% of income per 186.4 184.2 54.3 244.4 46.7 172.9 38.1 66.0 Qatar (1.1) capita) Getting Electricity 89 86 90 42 3 62 8 74 Iceland (1) (rank) Procedures (number) 5 5 6 5 3 5 3 5 10 Economies (3)* Time (days) 124 124 88 79 17 85 39 126 Germany (17) Cost (% of income per 215.9 213.2 92.5 43.3 46.9 234.4 59.6 91.9 Japan (0.0) capita) Registering Property 34 54 180 149 81 60 16 68 Georgia (1) (rank) Procedures (number) 4 5 8 8 5 5 4 6 4 Economies (1)* Time (days) 16.0 25.0 64.0 49.0 40.0 12.5 16.0 21.5 New Zealand (1.0)* Cost (% of property 4.4 4.5 12.7 6.1 5.7 7.1 0.3 4.7 5 Economies (0.0)* value) Getting Credit (rank) 109 105 73 55 28 55 28 1 Malaysia (1)* Strength of legal rights 3 3 6 7 7 6 8 10 10 Economies (10)* index (0-10) Depth of credit 5 5 4 4 6 5 5 6 31 Economies (6)* information index (0-6) Public registry coverage 25.6 24.1 96.2 43.6 0.0 51.9 0.0 0.0 Portugal (100.0)* (% of adults) Private bureau 100.0 100.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 15.6 26.5 100.0 22 Economies (100.0)* coverage (% of adults) Protecting Investors 52 51 16 80 98 98 170 10 New Zealand (1) (rank) Extent of disclosure 7 7 8 10 5 5 0 10 10 Economies (10)* Doing Business 2014 Italy 12 United Kingdom DB2014 Best performer globally Switzerland DB2014 Germany DB2014 Belgium DB2014 Indicator France DB2014 Spain DB2014 Italy DB2014 Italy DB2013 DB2014 index (0-10) Extent of director 4 4 6 1 5 6 5 7 Cambodia (10) liability index (0-10) Ease of shareholder 7 7 7 5 5 4 4 7 3 Economies (10)* suits index (0-10) Strength of investor 6.0 6.0 7.0 5.3 5.0 5.0 3.0 8.0 New Zealand (9.7) protection index (0-10) United Arab Emirates Paying Taxes (rank) 138 135 76 52 89 67 16 14 (1) Payments (number per Hong Kong SAR, 15 15 11 7 9 8 19 8 year) China (3)* United Arab Emirates Time (hours per year) 269 269 160 132 218 167 63 110 (12) Trading Across Borders 56 58 28 36 14 32 35 16 Singapore (1) (rank) Documents to export 3 3 4 2 4 4 3 4 Ireland (2)* (number) Time to export (days) 19 20 9 10 9 10 8 8 5 Economies (6)* Cost to export (US$ per 1,195 1,195 1,240 1,335 905 1,310 1,635 1,005 Malaysia (450) container) Documents to import 3 3 4 2 4 4 4 4 Ireland (2)* (number) Time to import (days) 18 18 8 11 7 9 8 6 Singapore (4) Cost to import (US$ per 1,145 1,145 1,400 1,445 940 1,350 1,440 1,050 Singapore (440) container) Enforcing Contracts 103 140 16 7 5 59 20 56 Luxembourg (1) (rank) Doing Business 2014 Italy 13 United Kingdom DB2014 Best performer globally Switzerland DB2014 Germany DB2014 Belgium DB2014 Indicator France DB2014 Spain DB2014 Italy DB2014 Italy DB2013 DB2014 Time (days) 1,185 1,185 505 395 394 510 390 437 Singapore (150) Cost (% of claim) 23.1 29.9 17.7 17.4 14.4 18.5 24.0 39.9 Bhutan (0.1) Procedures (number) 37 37 26 29 30 40 32 28 Singapore (21)* Resolving Insolvency 33 30 6 46 13 22 47 7 Japan (1) (rank) Time (years) 1.8 1.8 0.9 1.9 1.2 1.5 3.0 1.0 Ireland (0.4) Cost (% of estate) 22 22 4 9 8 11 4 6 Norway (1) Outcome (0 as piecemeal sale and 1 as 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 going concern) Recovery rate (cents on 62.7 63.4 89.0 48.3 82.9 72.3 47.6 88.6 Japan (92.8) the dollar) Note: DB2013 rankings shown are not last year’s published rankings but comparable rankings for DB2013 that capture the effects of such factors as data corrections and the addition of 4 economies (Libya, Myanmar, San Marino and South Sudan) to the sample this year. For more information on “no practice” marks, see the data notes. * Two or more economies share the top ranking on this indicator. A number shown in place of an economy’s name indicates the number of economies that share the top ranking on the indicator. For a list of these economies, see the Doing Business website (http://www.doingbusiness.org). Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 14 STARTING A BUSINESS Formal registration of companies has many WHAT THE STARTING A BUSINESS immediate benefits for the companies and for business owners and employees. Legal entities can INDICATORS MEASURE outlive their founders. Resources are pooled as several shareholders join forces to start a company. Procedures to legally start and operate a Formally registered companies have access to company (number) services and institutions from courts to banks as Preregistration (for example, name well as to new markets. And their employees can verification or reservation, notarization) benefit from protections provided by the law. An additional benefit comes with limited liability Registration in the economy’s largest companies. These limit the financial liability of business city company owners to their investments, so personal Postregistration (for example, social security assets of the owners are not put at risk. Where registration, company seal) governments make registration easy, more entrepreneurs start businesses in the formal sector, Time required to complete each procedure creating more good jobs and generating more (calendar days) revenue for the government. Does not include time spent gathering What do the indicators cover? information Doing Business measures the ease of starting a Each procedure starts on a separate day (2 business in an economy by recording all procedures cannot start on the same day). procedures officially required or commonly done in Procedures that can be fully completed practice by an entrepreneur to start up and online are an exception to this rule. formally operate an industrial or commercial Procedure completed once final document is business—as well as the time and cost required to received complete these procedures. It also records the paid-in minimum capital that companies must No prior contact with officials deposit before registration (or within 3 months). Cost required to complete each procedure The ranking on the ease of starting a business is (% of income per capita) the simple average of the percentile rankings on the 4 component indicators: procedures, time, cost Official costs only, no bribes and paid-in minimum capital requirement. No professional fees unless services required To make the data comparable across economies, by law Doing Business uses several assumptions about the Paid-in minimum capital (% of income business and the procedures. It assumes that all per capita) information is readily available to the entrepreneur and that there has been no prior contact with Deposited in a bank or with a notary before officials. It also assumes that the entrepreneur will registration (or within 3 months) pay no bribes. And it assumes that the business:  Has a start-up capital of 10 times income per  Is a limited liability company, located in the capita. largest business city and is 100% domestically  Has a turnover of at least 100 times income per owned. capita.  Has between 10 and 50 employees.  Does not qualify for any special benefits.  Conducts general commercial or industrial  Does not own real estate. activities. Doing Business 2014 Italy 15 STARTING A BUSINESS Where does the economy stand today? What does it take to start a business in Italy? costs 14.2% of income per capita and requires paid-in According to data collected by Doing Business, starting minimum capital of 9.8% of income per capita (figure a business there requires 6 procedures, takes 6.0 days, 2.1). Figure 2.1 What it takes to start a business in Italy Paid-in minimum capital (% of income per capita): 9.8 Note: Time shown in the figure above may not reflect simultaneity of procedures. Online procedures account for 0.5 days in the total time calculation. For more information on the methodology of the starting a business indicators, see the Doing Business website (http://www.doingbusiness.org). For details on the procedures reflected here, see the summary at the end of this chapter. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 16 STARTING A BUSINESS Globally, Italy stands at 90 in the ranking of 189 regional average ranking provide other useful economies on the ease of starting a business (figure information for assessing how easy it is for an 2.2). The rankings for comparator economies and the entrepreneur in Italy to start a business. Figure 2.2 How Italy and comparator economies rank on the ease of starting a business Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 17 STARTING A BUSINESS What are the changes over time? The benchmarks provided by the economies that over 2.3) can help show what is possible in making it easier time have had the best performance regionally or to start a business. And changes in regional averages globally on the procedures, time, cost or paid-in can show where Italy is keeping up—and where it is minimum capital required to start a business (figure falling behind. Figure 2.3 Has starting a business become easier over time? Procedures (number) Time (days) Doing Business 2014 Italy 18 STARTING A BUSINESS Cost (% of income per capita) Paid-in minimum capital (% of income per capita) Note: Ninety economies globally have no paid-in minimum capital requirement. DB2013 rankings shown are not last year’s published rankings but comparable rankings for DB2013 that capture the effects of such factors as data corrections and the addition of 4 economies (Libya, Myanmar, San Marino and South Sudan) to the sample this year. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 19 STARTING A BUSINESS Economies around the world have taken steps making greater firm satisfaction and savings and more it easier to start a business—streamlining procedures registered businesses, financial resources and job by setting up a one-stop shop, making procedures opportunities. simpler or faster by introducing technology and What business registration reforms has Doing Business reducing or eliminating minimum capital requirements. recorded in Italy (table 2.1)? Many have undertaken business registration reforms in stages—and they often are part of a larger regulatory reform program. Among the benefits have been Table 2.1 How has Italy made starting a business easier—or not? By Doing Business report year DB year Reform Procedures to start a business can by carried out through a DB2009 single notice reducing tremendously the number of procedures. DB2010 No reform as measured by Doing Business. Italy made starting a business easier by enhancing an online DB2011 registration system. DB2012 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2013 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2014 No reform as measured by Doing Business. Note: For information on reforms in earlier years (back to DB2005), see the Doing Business reports for these years, available at http://www.doingbusiness.org. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 20 STARTING A BUSINESS What are the details? Underlying the indicators shown in this chapter for STANDARDIZED COMPANY Italy is a set of specific procedures—the bureaucratic and legal steps that an entrepreneur must complete to incorporate and register a new City: Rome firm. These are identified by Doing Business through collaboration with relevant local Legal Form: Società a responsabilità limitata (Srl) professionals and the study of laws, regulations and Paid in Minimum Capital Requirement: EUR 2,500 publicly available information on business entry in that economy. Following is a detailed summary of Start-up Capital: 10 times GNI per capita those procedures, along with the associated time and cost. These procedures are those that apply to a company matching the standard assumptions (the “standardized company”) used by Doing Business in collecting the data (see the section in this chapter on what the indicators measure). Summary of procedures for starting a business in Italy—and the time and cost Time to No. Procedure Cost to complete complete Deposit at least 25% of the minimum capital in cash with a bank At incorporation, 25% of the company’s capital contributed in cash must be paid in and deposited in a bank account. The payment of the capital may be replaced by an insurance policy or by a bank guarantee for at least the same amount, though it is possible for the quota holders to pay in the due amount at any time. If the company capital is not wholly paid in at incorporation, the company has a credit against the founding shareholders for payment of the outstanding portion of the 1 capital. The directors have power to claim the payment at any time. 1 day no charge The payment of the capital may be replaced by goods, credits or services. In case of goods or credits contribution, company's capital must be wholly contributed at the moment of the incorporation. In case of services contribution, the quota holder has to produce an insurance policy or a bank guarantee, proving the same value of the contribution. * Execute a public deed of incorporation and company bylaws before a public notary and pay registration tax A public deed of incorporation (atto costitutivo), including the EUR 2,583 (Notary 1 day company’s bylaws (statuto) must be drafted and executed before a fees) + EUR 168 (simultaneous with 2 public notary by the quota holders or their authorized representatives. (Registration fee) + previous The notary drafts company bylaws on standard forms. The cost of the EUR 156 (Imposta procedure) forms and stamp duties are included in the notary fees. di bollo) Registration tax, due within 20 days of incorporation, is paid to the notary public, who will also provide the registered public deed of Doing Business 2014 Italy 21 Time to No. Procedure Cost to complete complete incorporation. The fees can be estimated on: http://www.altalex.com/index.php?idnot=58396 * Buy corporate books and accounting books According to Article 2478 bis of the Italian Civil Code, a company denominated as a limited liability company (società a responsabilità limitata, or SRL) must keep the following corporate books: minute book of board of directors’ meetings and minute book of board of Statutory Auditors (Collegio Sindacale), which are subject to authentication. According to Article 2214 of the Italian Civil Code, any business must keep two accounting books: the journal book and the inventory book. EUR 14.62 stamp Authentication of the accounting books is no longer required 1 day fee for each 100 (according to Law No. 383/2001). All books are available in standard (simultaneous with pages (3 books), 3 format at stationary stores or through a notary public. However, previous EUR 25 registration entrepreneurs can also use a loose-leaf book at no additional cost. procedure) fee per book (3 books) Law Decree 185/2008 which came into effect on March 2009 abolished the shareholders book for S.R.L and introduced Art. 2215-bis of the Civil Code which provides the possibility to keep all corporate books and accounting books on electronic format; in this case, a digital time stamp (and electronic signature) must be put on a three months basis and the cost to register electronic books depends on D.M. 23 Gennaio 2004. * Pay government grant tax to the post office current account The tax is due to the Office of Revenue every year. The amount is (1) 1 day EUR 309.87 to pay the grant tax if the company’s social capital is under (simultaneous with 4 EUR 310 EUR 516,456.90 or (2) EUR 516.46 if the company's social capital previous exceeds EUR 516,456.90. procedure) Register the Company through Comunicazione Unica Since 1st of April 2010, it is mandatory that the applicant electronically file a single notice (Comunicazione Unica) with the Register of EUR 200 Enterprises. This includes issuance of the tax identification number, VAT (membership fees) number, and registration with Social Security Administration (INPS) and 2 days + EUR 90 5 Accident Insurance Office (INAIL). The applicant must attach the forms (registration fee requested by (i) the Register of Enterprises for the registration (ii) the with chamber of Italian Tax Authorities for immediate starting of business, and (iii) by commerce) INPS and INAIL for the registration with these Administrations. Under Decree Law no. 185/2008, converted into Law no. 2/2009 dated Doing Business 2014 Italy 22 Time to No. Procedure Cost to complete complete January 28th 2009, companies are now required to provide a certified email address on the registry of companies registration form. Furthermore, all businesses incorporated as a SRL must communicate their certified electronic mail address to the Registry of Companies within 29th November 2011. After the single notice is filed, the firm receives all the documents within 7 days. All notices, communications and receipts of filing are sent to the Company’s certified email address. In detail: •The company receives immediately a reference number for the registration procedure as well as the receipt of the filing of the Single Notice with the Register of Enterprises; • Immediately the tax identification number and the VAT number; • Within 5 business days, the Registration with the Register of Enterprises; • Within 7 days INAIL documentation; • Within 7 days INPS documentation. D.P.R. 160/2010 (Decreto Del Presidente della Repubblica 160/2010) came into effect (29 March 2011), the businesses described the list of activities in SCIA that can submit their SCIA communication through the platform Comunicazione Unica at the same time as they register the company. * Notify the competent Labor Office (DPLMO) of the employment of workers 1 day The Law no. 296/2006 provided that the Company shall have to notify (simultaneous with 6 the Provincial Labor office (direzione provinciale del lavoro e della no charge previous massima occupazione, DPLMO) about the hiring of personnel one day procedure) before of the starting of the labor relationship. * Takes place simultaneously with another procedure. Note: Online procedures account for 0.5 days in the total time calculation. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 23 DEALING WITH CONSTRUCTION PERMITS Regulation of construction is critical to protect the WHAT THE DEALING WITH CONSTRUCTION public. But it needs to be efficient, to avoid PERMITS INDICATORS MEASURE excessive constraints on a sector that plays an important part in every economy. Where complying with building regulations is excessively costly in Procedures to legally build a warehouse time and money, many builders opt out. They may (number) pay bribes to pass inspections or simply build Submitting all relevant documents and illegally, leading to hazardous construction that obtaining all necessary clearances, licenses, puts public safety at risk. Where compliance is permits and certificates simple, straightforward and inexpensive, everyone Submitting all required notifications and is better off. receiving all necessary inspections What do the indicators cover? Obtaining utility connections for water, Doing Business records the procedures, time and sewerage and a land telephone line cost for a business in the construction industry to Registering the warehouse after its obtain all the necessary approvals to build a completion (if required for use as collateral or warehouse in the economy’s largest business city, for transfer of the warehouse) connect it to basic utilities and register the Time required to complete each procedure property so that it can be used as collateral or (calendar days) transferred to another entity. Does not include time spent gathering The ranking on the ease of dealing with information construction permits is the simple average of the Each procedure starts on a separate day. percentile rankings on its component indicators: Procedures that can be fully completed online procedures, time and cost. are an exception to this rule. To make the data comparable across economies, Procedure considered completed once final Doing Business uses several assumptions about the document is received business and the warehouse, including the utility connections. No prior contact with officials The business: Cost required to complete each procedure (% of income per capita)  Is a limited liability company operating in Official costs only, no bribes the construction business and located in the largest business city.  Will be connected to water, sewerage (sewage system, septic tank or their  Is domestically owned and operated. equivalent) and a fixed telephone line. The  Has 60 builders and other employees. connection to each utility network will be 10 The warehouse: meters (32 feet, 10 inches) long.  Is a new construction (there was no  Will be used for general storage, such as of previous construction on the land). books or stationery (not for goods requiring special conditions).  Has complete architectural and technical plans prepared by a licensed architect or  Will take 30 weeks to construct (excluding all engineer. delays due to administrative and regulatory requirements). Doing Business 2014 Italy 24 DEALING WITH CONSTRUCTION PERMITS Where does the economy stand today? What does it take to comply with the formalities to there requires 11 procedures, takes 233.5 days and build a warehouse in Italy? According to data collected costs 186.4% of income per capita (figure 3.1). by Doing Business, dealing with construction permits Figure 3.1 What it takes to comply with formalities to build a warehouse in Italy Note: Time shown in the figure above may not reflect simultaneity of procedures. Online procedures account for 0.5 days in the total time calculation. For more information on the methodology of the dealing with construction permits indicators, see the Doing Business website (http://www.doingbusiness.org). For details on the procedures reflected here, see the summary at the end of this chapter. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 25 DEALING WITH CONSTRUCTION PERMITS Globally, Italy stands at 112 in the ranking of 189 economies and the regional average ranking provide economies on the ease of dealing with construction other useful information for assessing how easy it is for permits (figure 3.2). The rankings for comparator an entrepreneur in Italy to legally build a warehouse. Figure 3.2 How Italy and comparator economies rank on the ease of dealing with construction permits Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 26 DEALING WITH CONSTRUCTION PERMITS What are the changes over time? The benchmarks provided by the economies that over what is possible in making it easier to deal with time have had the best performance regionally or construction permits. And changes in regional globally on the procedures, time or cost required to averages can show where Italy is keeping up—and deal with construction permits (figure 3.3) help show where it is falling behind. Figure 3.3 Has dealing with construction permits become easier over time? Procedures (number) Time (days) Doing Business 2014 Italy 27 DEALING WITH CONSTRUCTION PERMITS Cost (% of income per capita) Note: DB2013 rankings shown are not last year’s published rankings but comparable rankings for DB201 3 that capture the effects of such factors as data corrections and the addition of 4 economies (Libya, Myanmar, San Marino and South Sudan) to the sample this year. For more information on “no practice” marks, see the data notes. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 28 DEALING WITH CONSTRUCTION PERMITS Smart regulation ensures that standards are met while building safety while keeping compliance costs making compliance easy and accessible to all. reasonable, governments around the world have Coherent and transparent rules, efficient processes and worked on consolidating permitting requirements. adequate allocation of resources are especially What construction permitting reforms has Doing important in sectors where safety is at stake. Business recorded in Italy (table 3.1)? Construction is one of them. In an effort to ensure Table 3.1 How has Italy made dealing with construction permits easier—or not? By Doing Business report year DB year Reform DB2009 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2010 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2011 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2012 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2013 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2014 No reform as measured by Doing Business. Note: For information on reforms in earlier years (back to DB2006), see the Doing Business reports for these years, available at http://www.doingbusiness.org. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 29 DEALING WITH CONSTRUCTION PERMITS What are the details? The indicators reported here for Italy are based on BUILDING A WAREHOUSE a set of specific procedures—the steps that a company must complete to legally build a warehouse—identified by Doing Business through City : Rome information collected from experts in construction licensing, including architects, civil engineers, Estimated construction lawyers, construction firms, utility EUR 1,040,000 Warehouse Value : service providers and public officials who deal with building regulations. These procedures are those The procedures, along with the associated time and that apply to a company and structure matching cost, are summarized below. the standard assumptions used by Doing Business in collecting the data (see the section in this chapter on what the indicators cover). Summary of procedures for dealing with construction permits in Italy —and the time and cost Time to No. Procedure Cost to complete complete Obtain nulla osta from the Regional Technical Office (Genio Civile) The request for a building permit along with the technical details of the construction project must be preliminary filed with the one-stop shop (i.e. Sportello Unico dell'Edilizia). Then the Sportello Unico dell'Edilizia transmits the request and all the technical documentation to the Genio Civile where the internal control commitee provides for checking the compliance of the project with the technical provisions set forth by the competent administration. On March 6, 2008 the specific technical provisions were amended by the Ministerial Decree no. 29581 of January 14, 2008. Additionally, from June 25, 2009 in compliance with a Presidential Decree, BuildCo must file among the documents a certification attesting energy efficiency issued by a technical expert. The regulations 30 days EUR 1,275 1 do not affect the procedures for the issuance of the building permit, although they increase the construction costs to be sustained by the owner by 15 -- 20%. The Regional Office “Genio Civile” gives the seismic authorization. This authorization is mandatory for the Building Permit to be valid. Structural projects are randomly selected for control in the first ten days of the month following application. Projects that are not selected are automatically authorized. However, the applicant must wait until a formal letter of seismic approval is received. The letter arrives approximately within two weeks. For projects selected for control, the procedure lasts at least 60 days. Doing Business 2014 Italy 30 Time to No. Procedure Cost to complete complete Obtain building permit The application for a building permit is filed with the Sportello Unico dell'Edilizia (one-stop shop). The company must file proof of title of ownership to the property for which the building permit is requested, as well as the project design drawings signed by an engineer or an architect, including the drawings relating to electric utilities, air conditioning systems, and fire protection devices. The SUAP will also request project clearance from the Fire Department and from the Public Health Agency. The municipality takes 135 days to issue the building permit. The fees for the issuance of the building permit are calculated based on 2 the building value and on the urbanization costs sustained by the 135 days EUR 38,661 municipality. The fee based on building value must be paid no later than 60 days after the completion of the building; the fee based on urbanization costs must be paid upon issuance of the building permit. A Decree approved on May 5, 2011 has introduced the “consent by silent” also for the case of building permit processess. Specifically, in case of towns with more than 100,000 citizens, the authority must reply within 180 days from the receipt of the relevant documentation and in case of silence the entrepreneur is entitled to start the construction activities. Hire an independent engineer to test structure The structure tests must be performed by an engineer or an architect who was not directly involved in the project. In addition to the final test on completed structures, the work site director must provide test results for the structural material used to build the structure. In the case 3 of reinforced concrete, the testing must be done on three samples 1 day EUR 6,000 taken on each day that concrete is poured and on one sample for each steel per file used in the structure. The testing is based on per files traction and compression resistance and must be done by an authorized testing lab. File Certified Notification of Starting Activity (“SCIA”) A Certified Notification of Starting Activity (“SCIA”) is a declaration produced by the company that the building is in compliance with all fire safety regulations. For a warehouse containing books, the cost will 0.5 days EUR 216 4 be EUR 216.00 as per the D.P.R. 151/11 (Presidential Decree 151/11 of August 1, 2011. See activity No. 34.1.B for warehouses containing books). Procedure can be done online Doing Business 2014 Italy 31 Time to No. Procedure Cost to complete complete * Register the building 5 5 days EUR 159 Obtain occupancy certificate Within 15 days of the building’s completion, the builder should file with the Municipal Agency an application for an occupancy certificate and: • The request for cadastral registration • The builder's statement attesting the compliance of the building with the project specifications and the favorable outcome of the Fire Department’s inspection 6 • Statements of the independent experts involved in Procedures 4 and 30 days EUR 468 5 • The conformity certificate issued by the Regional Technical Office The Municipal Agency issues the occupancy certificate within 30 days after the application is filed. Receive on-site inspection by the Fire Department 7 1 day no charge * Apply for water and sewerage connection The company should contact the water authority to obtain the water 1 day no charge 8 and sewerage connection. Receive on-site inspection and estimation of water and sewerage installation costs 9 1 day no charge * Obtain water and sewerage installation 10 29 days EUR 600 * Obtain telephone connection The company should contact the telecommunication provider to obtain 15 days EUR 200 11 a telephone connection. * Takes place simultaneously with another procedure. Note: Online procedures account for 0.5 days in the total time calculation. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 32 GETTING ELECTRICITY Access to reliable and affordable electricity is vital WHAT THE GETTING ELECTRICITY for businesses. To counter weak electricity supply, many firms in developing economies have to rely INDICATORS MEASURE on self-supply, often at a prohibitively high cost. Whether electricity is reliably available or not, the Procedures to obtain an electricity first step for a customer is always to gain access by connection (number) obtaining a connection. Submitting all relevant documents and What do the indicators cover? obtaining all necessary clearances and permits Doing Business records all procedures required for Completing all required notifications and a local business to obtain a permanent electricity receiving all necessary inspections connection and supply for a standardized warehouse, as well as the time and cost to Obtaining external installation works and complete them. These procedures include possibly purchasing material for these works applications and contracts with electricity utilities, Concluding any necessary supply contract and clearances from other agencies and the external obtaining final supply and final connection works. The ranking on the ease of getting electricity is the simple average of Time required to complete each procedure the percentile rankings on its component (calendar days) indicators: procedures, time and cost. To make the Is at least 1 calendar day data comparable across economies, several assumptions are used. Each procedure starts on a separate day The warehouse: Does not include time spent gathering information  Is located in the economy’s largest business city, in an area where other Reflects the time spent in practice, with little warehouses are located. follow-up and no prior contact with officials  Is not in a special economic zone where Cost required to complete each procedure the connection would be eligible for (% of income per capita) subsidization or faster service. Official costs only, no bribes  Has road access. The connection works Excludes value added tax involve the crossing of a road or roads but are carried out on public land.  Is to either the low-voltage or the medium-  Is a new construction being connected to voltage distribution network and either overhead electricity for the first time. or underground, whichever is more common in the economy and area where the warehouse is  Has 2 stories, both above ground, with a located. The length of any connection in the total surface of about 1,300.6 square customer’s private domain is negligible. meters (14,000 square feet), and is built on a plot of 929 square meters (10,000 square  Requires crossing of a 10-meter road but all the feet). works are carried out in a public land, so there is no crossing into other people's private property. The electricity connection:  Involves installing one electricity meter. The  Is 150 meters long and is a 3-phase, 4-wire Y, monthly electricity consumption will be 0.07 140-kilovolt-ampere (kVA) (subscribed gigawatt-hour (GWh). The internal electrical capacity) connection. wiring has been completed. Doing Business 2014 Italy 33 GETTING ELECTRICITY Where does the economy stand today? What does it take to obtain a new electricity procedures, takes 124 days and costs 215.9% of connection in Italy? According to data collected by income per capita (figure 4.1). Doing Business, getting electricity there requires 5 Figure 4.1 What it takes to obtain an electricity connection in Italy Note: Time shown in the figure above may not reflect simultaneity of procedures. For more information on the methodology of the getting electricity indicators, see the Doing Business website (http://www.doingbusiness.org). For details on the procedures reflected here, see the summary at the end of this chapter. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 34 GETTING ELECTRICITY Globally, Italy stands at 89 in the ranking of 189 regional average ranking provide another perspective economies on the ease of getting electricity (figure in assessing how easy it is for an entrepreneur in Italy 4.2). The rankings for comparator economies and the to connect a warehouse to electricity. Figure 4.2 How Italy and comparator economies rank on the ease of getting electricity Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 35 GETTING ELECTRICITY Even more helpful than rankings on the ease of getting performers on these indicators may provide useful electricity may be the indicators underlying those benchmarks. rankings (table 4.1). And regional and global best Table 4.1 The ease of getting electricity in Italy Best performer in Best performer Indicator Italy DB2014 Italy DB2013 OECD high income globally DB2014 DB2014 Rank 89 86 Iceland (1) Iceland (1) Procedures (number) 5 5 4 Economies* (3) 10 Economies* (3) Time (days) 124 124 Germany (17) Germany (17) Cost (% of income per capita) 215.9 213.2 Japan (0.0) Japan (0.0) Note: DB2013 rankings shown are not last year’s published rankings but comparable rankings for DB201 3 that capture the effects of such factors as data corrections and the addition of 4 economies (Libya, Myanmar, San Marino and South Sudan) to the sample this year. * Two or more economies share the top ranking on this indicator. For a list of these economies, see the Doing Business website (http://www.doingbusiness.org). Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 36 GETTING ELECTRICITY Obtaining an electricity connection is essential to safety in the connection process while keeping enable a business to conduct its most basic operations. connection costs reasonable, governments around the In many economies the connection process is world have worked to consolidate requirements for complicated by the multiple laws and regulations obtaining an electricity connection. What reforms in involved—covering service quality, general safety, getting electricity has Doing Business recorded in Italy technical standards, procurement practices and (table 4.2)? internal wiring installations. In an effort to ensure Table 4.2 How has Italy made getting electricity easier—or not? By Doing Business report year DB year Reform DB2012 No reform as measured by Doing Business. Italy made getting electricity easier and less costly by DB2013 improving the efficiency of the utility Acea Distribuzione and reducing connection fees. DB2014 No reform as measured by Doing Business. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 37 GETTING ELECTRICITY What are the details? The indicators reported here for Italy are based on a OBTAINING AN ELECTRICITY CONNECTION set of specific procedures—the steps that an entrepreneur must complete to get a warehouse connected to electricity by the local distribution City: Rome utility—identified by Doing Business. Data are collected from the distribution utility, then completed and Name of Utility: Acea verified by electricity regulatory agencies and independent professionals such as electrical engineers, The procedures are those that apply to a warehouse electrical contractors and construction companies. The and electricity connection matching the standard electricity distribution utility surveyed is the one assumptions used by Doing Business in collecting the serving the area (or areas) in which warehouses are data (see the section in this chapter on what the located. If there is a choice of distribution utilities, the indicators cover). The procedures, along with the one serving the largest number of customers is associated time and cost, are summarized below. selected. Summary of procedures for getting electricity in Italy—and the time and cost Time to No. Procedure Cost to complete complete Customer submits application, and await estimate The application must include: a. Application request form (available for downloading on Acea website) b. certification of compliance with building normative (available for downloading on Acea website) 60 calendar days no charge 1 c. technical specification of the plant d. electrical map of the plant d. land registry extract of the site with the location of the plant Deeds authenticated by notary acts are not requested Customer receives external site inspection from utility Technical conditions includes: a. Preliminary Minimal Technical Solution (STMG) – to be send within 40 working days starting from the date of the communication that Acea sends to the end-user demanding the payment of the costs associated to the preliminary technical analysis (STMG) 2 b. Detailed Minimal Technical Solution (STMD) – to be send within 40 15 calendar days EUR 12,474.0 working days starting from the acceptance of the STMG by the end-user Once the end-user has accepted the pre-emption and paid the related costs, Acea provides the necessary authorizations and plans the activities (commit works to external contractor, provisioning materials, etc.). The total duration of 60 days taken as a average of the two. Doing Business 2014 Italy 38 Time to No. Procedure Cost to complete complete Utility conducts external connection works Utility obtains the necessary authorization for the road works from the 59 calendar days no charge 3 competent local authority and carries out external connection works. Customer purchases and installs secondary transformer on premises From the connection point at the medium voltage distribution grid to the compartment for the feeding of the end-user in the secondary transformer station, including the measure apparatus, all the materials are provided and maintained by Acea. The end-user is responsible for the setting up of his own secondary transformer station (which has to 4 provide the energy transformation from medium voltage to low voltage), 7 calendar days EUR 42,625.0 the MV cable connection from Acea feeding station to the Client station, as well as the complete realization of the low voltage end-user plant. The cost of a secondary transformer station and of a MV cable connection depends on the technical solution of the installation. Utility installs meter and electricity starts flowing The meter is installed by Acea once completed the connection of the new secondary transformer station to the MV distribution grid and 5 finished the works under the applicant responsibility. The electric power 5 calendar days no charge supply is assured within 5 working days from the conclusion of the connection works. * Takes place simultaneously with another procedure. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 39 REGISTERING PROPERTY Ensuring formal property rights is fundamental. WHAT THE REGISTERING PROPERTY Effective administration of land is part of that. If INDICATORS MEASURE formal property transfer is too costly or complicated, formal titles might go informal again. And where property is informal or poorly Procedures to legally transfer title on administered, it has little chance of being immovable property (number) accepted as collateral for loans—limiting access to Preregistration (for example, checking for liens, finance. notarizing sales agreement, paying property transfer taxes) What do the indicators cover? Registration in the economy’s largest business Doing Business records the full sequence of city procedures necessary for a business to purchase property from another business and transfer the Postregistration (for example, filing title with the municipality) property title to the buyer’s name. The transaction is considered complete when it is opposable to Time required to complete each procedure third parties and when the buyer can use the (calendar days) property, use it as collateral for a bank loan or Does not include time spent gathering resell it. The ranking on the ease of registering information property is the simple average of the percentile rankings on its component indicators: procedures, Each procedure starts on a separate day. time and cost. Procedures that can be fully completed online are an exception to this rule. To make the data comparable across economies, Procedure considered completed once final several assumptions about the parties to the document is received transaction, the property and the procedures are used. No prior contact with officials The parties (buyer and seller): Cost required to complete each procedure (% of property value)  Are limited liability companies, 100% domestically and privately owned. Official costs only, no bribes  Are located in the economy’s largest No value added or capital gains taxes included business city. and no rezoning is required.  Have 50 employees each, all of whom are  Has no mortgages attached and has been nationals. under the same ownership for the past 10  Perform general commercial activities. years. The property (fully owned by the seller):  Consists of 557.4 square meters (6,000 square feet) of land and a 10-year-old, 2-story  Has a value of 50 times income per capita. warehouse of 929 square meters (10,000 The sale price equals the value. square feet). The warehouse is in good  Is registered in the land registry or cada- condition and complies with all safety stre, or both, and is free of title disputes. standards, building codes and legal requirements. There is no heating system. The  Is located in a periurban commercial zone, property will be transferred in its entirety. Doing Business 2014 Italy 40 REGISTERING PROPERTY Where does the economy stand today? What does it take to complete a property transfer in 16.0 days and costs 4.4% of the property value (figure Italy? According to data collected by Doing Business, 5.1). registering property there requires 4 procedures, takes Figure 5.1 What it takes to register property in Italy Note: Time shown in the figure above may not reflect simultaneity of procedures. Online procedures account for 0.5 days in the total time calculation. For more information on the methodology of the registering property indicators, see the Doing Business website (http://www.doingbusiness.org). For details on the procedures reflected here, see the summary at the end of this chapter. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 41 REGISTERING PROPERTY Globally, Italy stands at 34 in the ranking of 189 regional average ranking provide other useful economies on the ease of registering property (figure information for assessing how easy it is for an 5.2). The rankings for comparator economies and the entrepreneur in Italy to transfer property. Figure 5.2 How Italy and comparator economies rank on the ease of registering property Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 42 REGISTERING PROPERTY What are the changes over time? The benchmarks provided by the economies that over what is possible in making it easier to register time have had the best performance regionally or property. And changes in regional averages can show globally on the procedures, time or cost required to where Italy is keeping up—and where it is falling complete a property transfer (figure 5.3) help show behind. Figure 5.3 Has registering property become easier over time? Procedures (number) Time (days) Doing Business 2014 Italy 43 REGISTERING PROPERTY Cost (% of property value) Note: DB2013 rankings shown are not last year’s published rankings but comparable rankings for DB2013 that capture the effects of such factors as data corrections and the addition of 4 economies (Libya, Myanmar, San Marino and South Sudan) to the sample this year. For more information on “no practice” marks, see the data notes. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 44 REGISTERING PROPERTY Economies worldwide have been making it easier for have cut the time required substantially—enabling entrepreneurs to register and transfer property—such buyers to use or mortgage their property earlier. What as by computerizing land registries, introducing time property registration reforms has Doing Business limits for procedures and setting low fixed fees. Many recorded in Italy (table 5.1)? Table 5.1 How has Italy made registering property easier—or not? By Doing Business report year DB year Reform DB2009 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2010 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2011 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2012 No reform as measured by Doing Business. Italy made transferring property easier by digitizing cadastral DB2013 maps of properties and making the maps available to notaries online. Italy made transferring property easier by eliminating the DB2014 requirement for an energy performance certificate for commercial buildings with no heating system. Note: For information on reforms in earlier years (back to DB2005), see the Doing Business reports for these years, available at http://www.doingbusiness.org. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 45 REGISTERING PROPERTY What are the details? The indicators reported here are based on a set of STANDARD PROPERTY TRANSFER specific procedures—the steps that a buyer and seller must complete to transfer the property to the buyer’s name—identified by Doing Business through information collected from local property City: Rome lawyers, notaries and property registries. These procedures are those that apply to a transaction Property Value: EUR 1,276,044 matching the standard assumptions used by Doing Business in collecting the data (see the section in The procedures, along with the associated time and this chapter on what the indicators cover). cost, are summarized below. Summary of procedures for registering property in Italy—and the time and cost Time to No. Procedure Cost to complete complete * Notary obtains necessary surveys from Land Registry and Cadastre through Notartel The notary public obtains all the needed due diligence certificates required for the transaction and verifying the identity of the parties. The Less than a day notary will obtain the following certificates through Notartel, a portal (online which enables the notary to access the Land Registry, the Cadastre and procedure), Included in 1 the Commercial Registry directly: simultaneous procedure 3 (i) Certificate on the property, from the Land Registry, stating who the with procedure 2 owner is and any rights that third parties have on the property (if any); and 3 (ii) Certificate on the property, from the Cadastre, stating the physical characteristics of the property. * Notary verifies the powers of relevant signatories Less than a day (online Using the website of the company registry's website, the notary will procedure), Included in 2 obtain certificates stating that the parties have the needed powers to simultaneous procedure 3 complete a property transfer on behalf of their companies. with procedure 1 and 3 * Notary drafts and executes the deed of sale EUR 5019 (Notary's fees Then, the notary public prepares and executes the deed of sale. 11 days without VAT) + EUR 230 (Imposta The parties will have to pay to the notary the notary's fees, as well as all (simultaneous 3 the taxes and fees due: with procedures 1 di Bollo) + EUR a) Notary fees: On March 24, 2012, Law Decree 1/2012 liberalized notary and 2) 168 registration fees by abolishing the need to follow the pre- existing notary fee tax (Imposta di schedule. Notaries, however, have continued to charge the fees Registro) + 3% of contained in Law 248 of 2006. The fees are subject to 21% VAT. property value Doing Business 2014 Italy 46 Time to No. Procedure Cost to complete complete b) Other taxes and fees: According to Decree 131/1986, the notary is also (Imposta in charge of receiving the payment of all the fees and taxes due from the Ipotecaria) + 1% parties. The taxes and fees due are: of property value (i) Imposta di Bollo (EUR 230) (Imposta (ii) Imposta de Registro (EUR 168) Catastale) + EUR (iii) Imposta Catastale (1% of property value) 35 (Tassa (iv) Imposta Ipotecaria (3% of property value) (v)Tassa Ipotecaria (EUR 35) Ipotecaria) + EUR (vi) Diritti Catsatali per Voltura (EUR 55) 55 (Diritti Catastali per Voltura) Stamp, archive and registration taxes may also be due to the notary public. Registration of the deed The notary files the deed of sale and the transcription note on line using the “Modello Unico Informatico (MUI)”. It is mandatory for the notary to file the documents within 30 days of the signature of the contract. Otherwise, the notary will be fined. With a single electronic transmission digitally signed by a notary, the following information is sent: (i) the data concerning the payment of taxes (debited from bank account), (ii) the offices of destination, i.e. Tax Agency for tax registration, Land Agency for the Land Registry and Cadastral office (jointly), Land Registry Offices (Ufficio Tavolare) for the municipalities where this specific method of registration for real estate transfers is operational; (iii) the certified copy of the deed with its attachments. Taxes are credited directly to the central Revenue Office and the various offices retain the competence to verify the correctness of the payment. The notary gets online receipts of the various procedures and payments included in 4 made. 4 days previous procedure In the case of a warehouse used for commercial purposes, sold by a company that is not in the construction business the cadastral tax is equal to 1% of sale price, according to the law 248 of 2006, and the transcription tax is equal to 3% of sale price. Italian VAT law applicable to commercial properties states that the sale of a commercial property is generally VAT exempt, unless (i) in the cases mandatorily provided for by the Italian tax law (ii) if the seller has elected for the VAT regime. In any case, the transfer of a commercial property where both the seller and the purchaser are Italian companies is subject to a fixed registration tax rate. The Land registry and cadastre are 2 different databases, but managed by the same government agency since 2008-2009. The Land Registry has the purpose of rendering deeds enforceable towards all third parties. Until a deed has been registered in the Land Registry, it is only enforceable between the parties thereto. The Italian Doing Business 2014 Italy 47 Time to No. Procedure Cost to complete complete Land Registry system is based on the principle of continuity of the registrations ("continuità delle trascrizioni"). This means that an individual or an entity may sell a property only if the relative deed of purchase has been registered beforehand in the Land Registry. * Takes place simultaneously with another procedure. Note: Online procedures account for 0.5 days in the total time calculation. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 48 GETTING CREDIT Two types of frameworks can facilitate access to WHAT THE GETTING CREDIT INDICATORS credit and improve its allocation: credit information MEASURE systems and borrowers and lenders in collateral and bankruptcy laws. Credit information systems enable lenders’ rights to view a potential borrower’s Strength of legal rights index (0–10) financial history (positive or negative)—valuable Rights of borrowers and lenders through information to consider when assessing risk. And collateral laws they permit borrowers to establish a good credit Protection of secured creditors’ rights through history that will allow easier access to credit. Sound bankruptcy laws collateral laws enable businesses to use their assets, especially movable property, as security to generate Depth of credit information index (0–6) capital—while strong creditors’ rights have been Scope and accessibility of credit information associated with higher ratios of private sector credit distributed by public credit registries and to GDP. private credit bureaus What do the indicators cover? Public credit registry coverage (% of adults) Doing Business assesses the sharing of credit Number of individuals and firms listed in information and the legal rights of borrowers and public credit registry as percentage of adult lenders with respect to secured transactions population through 2 sets of indicators. The depth of credit Private credit bureau coverage (% of adults) information index measures rules and practices Number of individuals and firms listed in affecting the coverage, scope and accessibility of largest private credit bureau as percentage of credit information available through a public credit adult population registry or a private credit bureau. The strength of legal rights index measures whether certain features that facilitate lending exist within the applicable collateral and bankruptcy laws. Doing Business uses case scenarios to determine the scope of the  Has up to 100 employees. secured transactions system, involving a secured  Is 100% domestically owned, as is the lender. borrower and a secured lender and examining legal The ranking on the ease of getting credit is based on restrictions on the use of movable collateral. These the percentile rankings on the sum of its component scenarios assume that the borrower: indicators: the depth of credit information index and  Is a private, incorporated, limited liability the strength of legal rights index. company.  Has its headquarters and only base of operations in the largest business city. Doing Business 2014 Italy 49 GETTING CREDIT Where does the economy stand today? How well do the credit information system and Globally, Italy stands at 109 in the ranking of 189 collateral and bankruptcy laws in Italy facilitate access economies on the ease of getting credit (figure 6.1). to credit? The economy has a score of 5 on the depth The rankings for comparator economies and the of credit information index and a score of 3 on the regional average ranking provide other useful strength of legal rights index (see the summary of information for assessing how well regulations and scoring at the end of this chapter for details). Higher institutions in Italy support lending and borrowing. scores indicate more credit information and stronger legal rights for borrowers and lenders. Figure 6.1 How Italy and comparator economies rank on the ease of getting credit Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 50 GETTING CREDIT What are the changes over time? While the most recent Doing Business data reflect how institutions and regulations have been strengthened — well the credit information system and collateral and and where they have not (table 6.1). That can help bankruptcy laws in Italy support lending and identify where the potential for improvement is borrowing today, data over time can help show where greatest. Table 6.1 The ease of getting credit in Italy over time By Doing Business report year Indicator DB2005 DB2006 DB2007 DB2008 DB2009 DB2010 DB2011 DB2012 DB2013 DB2014 Rank .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 105 109 Strength of legal rights 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 index (0-10) Depth of credit 6 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 information index (0-6) Public registry coverage 7.9 6.1 9.9 11.0 11.8 12.2 16.6 23.0 24.1 25.6 (% of adults) Private bureau 57.1 59.9 67.8 71.5 74.9 77.5 80.5 100.0 100.0 100.0 coverage (% of adults) Note: n.a. = not applicable (the economy was not included in Doing Business for that year). DB2013 rankings shown are not last year’s published rankings but comparable rankings for DB2013 that capture the effects of such factors as data corrections and the addition of 4 economies (Libya, Myanmar, San Marino and South Sudan) to the sample this year. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 51 GETTING CREDIT One way to put an economy’s score on the getting shows the number of economies with this score in credit indicators into context is to see where the 2013 as well as the regional average score. Figure 6.3 economy stands in the distribution of scores across shows the same thing for the depth of credit economies. Figure 6.2 highlights the score on the information index. strength of legal rights index for Italy in 2013 and Figure 6.2 How strong are legal rights for borrowers Figure 6.3 How much credit information is shared— and lenders? and how widely? Number of economies with each score on strength of legal Number of economies with each score on depth of credit rights index (0–10), 2013 information index (0–6), 2013 Note: Higher scores indicate that collateral and bankruptcy Note: Higher scores indicate the availability of more credit laws are better designed to facilitate access to credit. information, from either a credit registry or a credit bureau, Source: Doing Business database. to facilitate lending decisions. Regional averages for the depth of credit information index exclude economies with no credit registry or credit bureau. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 52 GETTING CREDIT When economies strengthen the legal rights of lenders credit information, they can increase entrepreneurs’ and borrowers under collateral and bankruptcy laws, access to credit. What credit reforms has Doing and increase the scope, coverage and accessibility of Business recorded in Italy (table 6.2)? Table 6.2 How has Italy made getting credit easier—or not? By Doing Business report year DB year Reform DB2009 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2010 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2011 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2012 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2013 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2014 No reform as measured by Doing Business. Note: For information on reforms in earlier years (back to DB2005), see the Doing Business reports for these years, available at http://www.doingbusiness.org. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 53 GETTING CREDIT What are the details? The getting credit indicators reported here for Italy are The data on the legal rights of borrowers and lenders based on detailed information collected in that are gathered through a survey of financial lawyers and economy. The data on credit information sharing are verified through analysis of laws and regulations as collected through a survey of a credit registry and/or well as public sources of information on collateral and credit bureau (if one exists). To construct the depth of bankruptcy laws. For the strength of legal rights index, credit information index, a score of 1 is assigned for a score of 1 is assigned for each of 8 aspects related to each of 6 features of the credit registry or credit legal rights in collateral law and 2 aspects in bureau (see summary of scoring below). bankruptcy law. Summary of scoring for the getting credit indicators in Italy OECD high income OECD high income Indicator Italy average average Strength of legal rights index (0-10) 3 7 Depth of credit information index (0-6) 5 5 Public registry coverage (% of adults) 25.6 42.9 Private bureau coverage (% of adults) 100.0 73.9 Note: In cases where an economy’s regional classification is “OECD high income,” regional averages above are only displayed once. Regional averages for the depth of credit information index exclude economies with no credit registry or credit bureau. Regional averages for the credit registry coverage exclude economies with no credit registry. Regional averages for the credit bureau coverage exclude economies with no credit bureau. Strength of legal rights index (0–10) Index score: 3 Can any business use movable assets as collateral while keeping possession of the assets; and Yes any financial institution accept such assets as collateral ? Does the law allow businesses to grant a non possessory security right in a single category of No movable assets, without requiring a specific description of collateral? Does the law allow businesses to grant a non possessory security right in substantially all of No its assets, without requiring a specific description of collateral? May a security right extend to future or after-acquired assets, and may it extend automatically Yes to the products, proceeds or replacements of the original assets ? Is a general description of debts and obligations permitted in collateral agreements; can all types of debts and obligations be secured between parties; and can the collateral agreement Yes include a maximum amount for which the assets are encumbered? Is a collateral registry in operation, that is unified geographically and by asset type, with an No electronic database indexed by debtor's names? Doing Business 2014 Italy 54 Strength of legal rights index (0–10) Index score: 3 Are secured creditors paid first (i.e. before tax claims and employee claims) when a debtor No defaults outside an insolvency procedure? Are secured creditors paid first (i.e. before tax claims and employee claims) when a business is No liquidated? Are secured creditors either not subject to an automatic stay on enforcement when a debtor enters a court-supervised reorganization procedure, or does the law provide secured No creditors with grounds for relief from an automatic stay or/and sets a time limit to it? Does the law allow parties to agree in a collateral agreement that the lender may enforce its No security right out of court, at the time a security interest is created? Depth of credit information index (0–6) Credit bureau Credit registry Index score: 5 Are data on both firms and individuals distributed? Yes Yes 1 Are both positive and negative data distributed? Yes Yes 1 Does the registry distribute credit information from retailers, trade creditors or utility companies as well as No No 0 financial institutions? Are more than 2 years of historical credit information Yes Yes 1 distributed? Is data on all loans below 1% of income per capita Yes Yes 1 distributed? Is it guaranteed by law that borrowers can inspect Yes Yes 1 their data in the largest credit registry? Note: An economy receives a score of 1 if there is a "yes" to either private bureau or public registry. Credit bureau Credit registry Coverage (% of adults) (% of adults) Number of firms 5,542,258 1,713,409 Number of individuals 39,855,810 8,454,974 Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 55 PROTECTING INVESTORS Protecting investors matters for the ability of WHAT THE PROTECTING INVESTORS companies to raise the capital they need to grow, INDICATORS MEASURE innovate, diversify and compete. If the laws do not protect minority shareholders, investors may be reluctant to provide funding to companies through Extent of disclosure index (0–10) the purchase of shares unless they become the Approval process for related-party controlling shareholders. Effective regulations define transactions related-party transactions precisely, promote clear Disclosure requirements in case of related- and efficient disclosure requirements, require party transactions shareholder participation in major decisions of the company and set detailed standards of accountability Extent of director liability index (0–10) for company insiders. Ability of minority shareholders to file a direct or derivative lawsuit What do the indicators cover? Ability of minority shareholders to hold Doing Business measures the strength of minority interested parties and members of the shareholder protections against directors’ use of approving body liable for prejudicial related- corporate assets for personal gain—or self-dealing. party transactions The indicators distinguish 3 dimensions of investor protections: transparency of related-party Available legal remedies (damages, repayment of profits, fines, imprisonment and rescission transactions (extent of disclosure index), liability for of the transaction) self-dealing (extent of director liability index) and minority shareholders’ access to evidence before and Ease of shareholder suits index (0–10) during trial (ease of shareholder suits index). The Access to internal corporate documents ranking on the strength of investor protection index is (directly or through a government inspector) the simple average of the percentile rankings on these 3 indices. To make the data comparable across Documents and information available during trial economies, a case study uses several assumptions about the business and the transaction. Strength of investor protection index (0–10) The business (Buyer): Simple average of the extent of disclosure, extent of director liability and ease of  Is a publicly traded corporation listed on the shareholder suits indices economy’s most important stock exchange (or at least a large private company with multiple shareholders). the company purchase used trucks from another company he owns.  Has a board of directors and a chief executive officer (CEO) who may legally act on behalf of  The price is higher than the going price for used Buyer where permitted, even if this is not trucks, but the transaction goes forward. specifically required by law.  All required approvals are obtained, and all The transaction involves the following details: required disclosures made, though the transaction is prejudicial to Buyer.  Mr. James, a director and the majority shareholder of the company, proposes that  Shareholders sue the interested parties and the members of the board of directors. Doing Business 2014 Italy 56 PROTECTING INVESTORS Where does the economy stand today? How strong are investor protections against self- index (figure 7.1). While the indicator does not dealing in Italy? The economy has a score of 6.0 on the measure all aspects related to the protection of strength of investor protection index, with a higher minority investors, a higher ranking does indicate that score indicating stronger protections (see the an economy’s regulations offer stronger investor summary of scoring at the end of this chapter for protections against self-dealing in the areas measured. details). Globally, Italy stands at 52 in the ranking of 189 economies on the strength of investor protection Figure 7.1 How Italy and comparator economies rank on the strength of investor protection index Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 57 PROTECTING INVESTORS What are the changes over time? While the most recent Doing Business data reflect how ranking on the strength of investor protection index well regulations in Italy protect minority investors over time shows whether the economy is slipping today, data over time show whether the protections behind other economies in investor protections—or have been strengthened (table 7.1). And the global surpassing them. Table 7.1 The strength of investor protections in Italy over time By Doing Business report year Indicator DB2006 DB2007 DB2008 DB2009 DB2010 DB2011 DB2012 DB2013 DB2014 Rank .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 51 52 Extent of disclosure 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 index (0-10) Extent of director 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 liability index (0-10) Ease of shareholder 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 suits index (0-10) Strength of investor protection index (0- 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 10) Note: n.a. = not applicable (the economy was not included in Doing Business for that year). DB2013 rankings shown are not last year’s published rankings but comparable rankings for DB2013 that capture the effects of such factors as data corrections and the addition of 4 economies (Libya, Myanmar, San Marino and South Sudan) to the sample this year. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 58 PROTECTING INVESTORS One way to put an economy’s scores on the protecting the number of economies with this score in 2013 as investors indicators into context is to see where the well as the regional average score. Figure 7.3 applies to economy stands in the distribution of scores across the extent of director liability index, and figure 7.4 to economies. Figure 7.2 highlights the score on the the ease of shareholder suits index. extent of disclosure index for Italy in 2013 and shows Figure 7.2 How strong are disclosure requirements? Figure 7.3 How strong is the liability regime for directors? Number of economies with each score on the extent of Number of economies with each score on the extent of director liability index (0–10), 2013 disclosure index (0–10), 2013 Note: Higher scores indicate greater liability of directors. Note: Higher scores indicate greater disclosure. Source: Doing Business database. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 59 PROTECTING INVESTORS Figure 7.4 How easy is accessing internal corporate documents? Number of economies with each score on the ease of shareholder suits index (0–10), 2013 Note: Higher scores indicate greater minority shareholder access to evidence before and during trial. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 60 PROTECTING INVESTORS The scores recorded over time for Italy on the strength (figure 7.5). Equally interesting may be the changes of investor protection index may also be revealing over time in the regional average score on this index. Figure 7.5 Have investor protections become stronger over time? Strength of investor protection index (0–10) Note: The higher the score, the stronger the protections. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 61 PROTECTING INVESTORS Economies with the strongest protections of minority reasonable time. As a result, reforms to strengthen investors from self-dealing require detailed disclosure investor protections may move ahead on different and define clear duties for directors. They also have fronts—such as through new or amended company well-functioning courts and up-to-date procedural laws, securities regulations or civil procedure rules. rules that give minority shareholders the means to What investor protection reforms has Doing Business prove their case and obtain a judgment within a recorded in Italy (table 7.2)? Table 7.2 How has Italy strengthened investor protections—or not? By Doing Business report year DB year Reform DB2009 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2010 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2011 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2012 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2013 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2014 No reform as measured by Doing Business. Note: For information on reforms in earlier years (back to DB2006), see the Doing Business reports for these years, available at http://www.doingbusiness.org. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 62 PROTECTING INVESTORS What are the details? The protecting investors indicators reported here for ease of shareholder suits indices, scores are assigned Italy are based on detailed information collected to each based on a range of conditions relating to through a survey of corporate and securities lawyers disclosure, director liability and shareholder suits in a about securities regulations, company laws and court standard case study transaction (see the data notes at rules of evidence and procedure. To construct the the end of this chapter). The summary below shows extent of disclosure, extent of director liability and the details underlying the scores for Italy. Summary of scoring for the protecting investors indicators in Italy OECD high OECD high income Indicator Italy income average average Extent of disclosure index (0-10) 7 7 Extent of director liability index (0-10) 4 5 Ease of shareholder suits index (0-10) 7 7 Strength of investor protection index (0-10) 6.0 6.2 Note: In cases where an economy’s regional classification is “OECD high income,” regional averages above are only displayed once. Score Score description Extent of disclosure index (0-10) 7 What corporate body provides legally sufficient Shareholders meeting and Mr. James 1 approval for the transaction? is allowed to vote Whether disclosure of the conflict of interest by Mr. 2 Full disclosure of all material facts James to the board of directors is required? Whether immediate disclosure of the transaction to Disclosure on the transaction and Mr. 2 the public and/or shareholders is required? James' conflict of interest Whether disclosure of the transaction in published Disclosure on the transaction and Mr. 2 periodic filings (annual reports) is required? James' conflict of interest Whether an external body must review the terms of 0 No the transaction before it takes place? Extent of director liability index (0-10) 4 Whether shareholders can sue directly or derivatively for the damage that the Buyer-Seller transaction 1 Yes causes to the company? Whether shareholders can hold Mr. James liable for Liable for negligence or influencing the damage that the Buyer-Seller transaction causes 1 the approval of the transaction to the company? Whether shareholders can hold members of the approving body liable for the damage that the Buyer- 1 Liable for negligence Seller transaction causes to the company? Doing Business 2014 Italy 63 Score Score description Whether a court can void the transaction upon a Not possible or only in case of Seller's 0 successful claim by a shareholder plaintiff? fraud or bad faith Whether Mr. James pays damages for the harm caused to the company upon a successful claim by 1 Yes the shareholder plaintiff? Whether Mr. James repays profits made from the transaction upon a successful claim by the 0 No shareholder plaintiff? Whether fines and imprisonment can be applied 0 No against Mr. James? Ease of shareholder suits index (0-10) 7 Whether shareholders owning 10% or less of Buyer's shares can inspect transaction documents before 0 No filing suit? Whether shareholders owning 10% or less of Buyer's shares can request an inspector to investigate the 1 Yes transaction? Whether the plaintiff can obtain any documents from Any information that may lead to the 4 the defendant and witnesses during trial? discovery of relevant information Whether the plaintiff can request categories of documents from the defendant without identifying 0 No specific ones? Whether the plaintiff can directly question the 1 Yes defendant and witnesses during trial? Whether the level of proof required for civil suits is 1 Yes lower than that of criminal cases? Strength of investor protection index (0-10) 6.0 Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 64 PAYING TAXES Taxes are essential. They fund the public amenities, WHAT THE PAYING TAXES INDICATORS infrastructure and services that are crucial for a MEASURE properly functioning economy. But the level of tax rates needs to be carefully chosen—and needless Tax payments for a manufacturing company complexity in tax rules avoided. According to in 2012 (number per year adjusted for Doing Business data, in economies where it is more electronic and joint filing and payment) difficult and costly to pay taxes, larger shares of economic activity end up in the informal sector— Total number of taxes and contributions paid, where businesses pay no taxes at all. including consumption taxes (value added tax, sales tax or goods and service tax) What do the indicators cover? Method and frequency of filing and payment Using a case scenario, Doing Business measures Time required to comply with 3 major taxes the taxes and mandatory contributions that a (hours per year) medium-size company must pay in a given year as well as the administrative burden of paying taxes Collecting information and computing the tax and contributions. This case scenario uses a set of payable financial statements and assumptions about Completing tax return forms, filing with transactions made over the year. Information is proper agencies also compiled on the frequency of filing and Arranging payment or withholding payments as well as time taken to comply with tax laws. The ranking on the ease of paying taxes is Preparing separate tax accounting books, if the simple average of the percentile rankings on required its component indicators: number of annual Total tax rate (% of profit before all taxes) payments, time and total tax rate, with a threshold 1 Profit or corporate income tax being applied to the total tax rate. To make the data comparable across economies, several Social contributions and labor taxes paid by assumptions about the business and the taxes and the employer contributions are used. Property and property transfer taxes  TaxpayerCo is a medium-size business that Dividend, capital gains and financial started operations on January 1, 2011. transactions taxes  The business starts from the same financial Waste collection, vehicle, road and other taxes position in each economy. All the taxes  Taxes and mandatory contributions include and mandatory contributions paid during corporate income tax, turnover tax and all the second year of operation are recorded. labor taxes and contributions paid by the  Taxes and mandatory contributions are company. measured at all levels of government.  A range of standard deductions and exemptions are also recorded. 1 The threshold is defined as the highest total tax rate among the top 15% of economies in the ranking on the total tax rate. It is calculated and adjusted on a yearly basis. The threshold is not based on any economic theory of an “optimal tax rate” that minimizes distortions or maximizes efficiency in the tax system of an economy overall. Instead, it is mainly empirical in nature, set at the lower end of the distribution of tax rates levied on medium-size enterprises in the manufacturing sector as observed through the paying taxes indicators. This reduces the bias in the indicators toward economies that do not need to levy significant taxes on companies like the Doing Business standardized case study company because they raise public revenue in other ways—for example, through taxes on foreign companies, through taxes on sectors other than manufacturing or from natural resources (all of which are outside the scope of the methodology). This year’s threshold is 25.5%. Doing Business 2014 Italy 65 PAYING TAXES Where does the economy stand today? What is the administrative burden of complying with Globally, Italy stands at 138 in the ranking of 189 taxes in Italy—and how much do firms pay in taxes? economies on the ease of paying taxes (figure 8.1). The On average, firms make 15 tax payments a year, spend rankings for comparator economies and the regional 269 hours a year filing, preparing and paying taxes and average ranking provide other useful information for pay total taxes amounting to 65.8% of profit (see the assessing the tax compliance burden for businesses in summary at the end of this chapter for details). Italy. Figure 8.1 How Italy and comparator economies rank on the ease of paying taxes Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 66 PAYING TAXES What are the changes over time? The benchmarks provided by the economies that over show what is possible in easing the administrative time have had the best performance regionally or burden of tax compliance. And changes in regional globally on the number of payments or the time averages can show where Italy is keeping up—and required to prepare and file taxes (figure 8.2) help where it is falling behind. Figure 8.2 Has paying taxes become easier over time? Payments (number per year) Time (hours per year) Doing Business 2014 Italy 67 PAYING TAXES Total tax rate (% of profit) Note: DB2013 rankings shown are not last year’s published rankings but comparable rankings for DB201 3 that capture the effects of such factors as data corrections and the addition of 4 economies (Libya, Myanmar, San Marino and South Sudan) to the sample this year. DB2013 rankings reflect changes to the methodology. For all economies with a total tax rate below the threshold of 25.5% applied in DB2014, the total tax rate is set at 25.5% for the purpose of calculating the ranking on the ease of paying taxes. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 68 PAYING TAXES Economies around the world have made paying taxes concrete results. Some economies simplifying tax faster and easier for businesses—such as by payment and reducing rates have seen tax revenue consolidating filings, reducing the frequency of rise. What tax reforms has Doing Business recorded in payments or offering electronic filing and payment. Italy (table 8.1)? Many have lowered tax rates. Changes have brought Table 8.1 How has Italy made paying taxes easier—or not? By Doing Business report year DB year Reform Effective 2008, the IRES rate has been reduced from 33% to DB2009 27.5%, and the IRAP rate has been reduced from 4.25% percent to 3.9%. DB2010 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2011 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2012 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2013 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2014 No reform as measured by Doing Business. Note: For information on reforms in earlier years (back to DB2006), see the Doing Business reports for these years, available at http://www.doingbusiness.org. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 69 PAYING TAXES What are the details? The indicators reported here for Italy are based on LOCATION OF STANDARDIZED COMPANY a standard set of taxes and contributions that would be paid by the case study company used by Doing Business in collecting the data (see the City: Rome section in this chapter on what the indicators cover). Tax practitioners are asked to review standard financial statements as well as a standard list of transactions that the company completed The taxes and contributions paid are listed in the during the year. Respondents are asked how much summary below, along with the associated number of in taxes and mandatory contributions the business payments, time and tax rate. must pay and what the process is for doing so. Summary of tax rates and administrative burden in Italy OECD high income OECD high income Indicator Italy average average Payments (number per year) 15 12 Time (hours per year) 269 175 Profit tax (%) 20.3 16.1 Labor tax and contributions (%) 43.4 23.1 Other taxes (%) 2.0 2.0 Total tax rate (% profit) 65.8 41.3 Note: In cases where an economy’s regional classification is “OECD high income,” regional averages above are only displayed once. Total tax Notes on Tax or mandatory Payments Notes on Time Statutory Tax base rate (% of total tax contribution (number) payments (hours) tax rate profit) rate Employer paid - Social 26.86%- gross 1 online filing 198 34.8 security contributions 31.88% salaries Corporate income tax taxable 1 online filing 39 27.5% 13.6 (IRES) profit Employer paid - Mandatory 7.61%- gross contribution for work 0 paid jointly 0 8.6 7.81% salaries termination (TFR) Doing Business 2014 Italy 70 Total tax Notes on Tax or mandatory Payments Notes on Time Statutory Tax base rate (% of total tax contribution (number) payments (hours) tax rate profit) rate difference between taxable Regional tax on productive 1 online filing 0 3.9% revenues 6.7 activities (IRAP) and deductible costs cadastral Tax on real estate (IMU) 1 online filing 0 1.06% value of 1.8 property interest included in Tax on interest 0 0 20% 0.5 income other taxes EUR 373 + previous Chamber of commerce 1 online filing 0 various year 0.1 duties rates turnover Fixed tax on legal and fiscal 1 0 EUR 516 fixed fee 0 registries Stamp duty on property 1 0 EUR 168 fixed fee 0 transfer Tax on check transactions 1 0 EUR 100 fixed fee 0 various small Property transfer tax 1 0 0 rates amount various insurance small Insurance tax 1 0 0 rates premium amount value not Value added tax (VAT) 1 online filing 32 21% added and 0 included land various pages of small Stamp duty on contracts 1 0 0 rates contracts amount various type of small Advertising tax 1 0 0 rates advertising amount included small Fuel tax 1 0 into fuel 0 amount price various vehicle small Vehicle tax 1 online filing 0 0 rates KW amount Totals 15 269 65.8 Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 71 TRADING ACROSS BORDERS In today’s globalized world, making trade between WHAT THE TRADING ACROSS BORDERS economies easier is increasingly important for INDICATORS MEASURE business. Excessive document requirements, burdensome customs procedures, inefficient port operations and inadequate infrastructure all lead to Documents required to export and import extra costs and delays for exporters and importers, (number) stifling trade potential. Research shows that Bank documents exporters in developing countries gain more from Customs clearance documents a 10% drop in their trading costs than from a similar reduction in the tariffs applied to their Port and terminal handling documents products in global markets. Transport documents What do the indicators cover? Time required to export and import (days) Doing Business measures the time and cost Obtaining, filling out and submitting all the (excluding tariffs and the time and cost for sea documents transport) associated with exporting and importing Inland transport and handling a standard shipment of goods by sea transport, and the number of documents necessary to Customs clearance and inspections complete the transaction. The indicators cover Port and terminal handling procedural requirements such as documentation Does not include sea transport time requirements and procedures at customs and other regulatory agencies as well as at the port. They also Cost required to export and import (US$ per cover trade logistics, including the time and cost of container) inland transport to the largest business city. The All documentation ranking on the ease of trading across borders is the simple average of the percentile rankings on its Inland transport and handling component indicators: documents, time and cost Customs clearance and inspections to export and import. Port and terminal handling To make the data comparable across economies, Official costs only, no bribes Doing Business uses several assumptions about the business and the traded goods. The business: military items.  Is of medium size and employs 60 people.  Do not require refrigeration or any other special environment.  Is located in the periurban area of the economy’s largest business city.  Do not require any special phytosanitary or environmental safety standards other than  Is a private, limited liability company, accepted international standards. domestically owned, formally registered and operating under commercial laws and  Are one of the economy’s leading export or regulations of the economy. import products. The traded goods:  Are transported in a dry-cargo, 20-foot full container load.  Are not hazardous nor do they include Doing Business 2014 Italy 72 TRADING ACROSS BORDERS Where does the economy stand today? What does it take to export or import in Italy? Globally, Italy stands at 56 in the ranking of 189 According to data collected by Doing Business, economies on the ease of trading across borders exporting a standard container of goods requires 3 (figure 9.1). The rankings for comparator economies documents, takes 19 days and costs $1195. Importing and the regional average ranking provide other useful the same container of goods requires 3 documents, information for assessing how easy it is for a business takes 18 days and costs $1145 (see the summary of in Italy to export and import goods. procedures and documents at the end of this chapter for details). Figure 9.1 How Italy and comparator economies rank on the ease of trading across borders Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 73 TRADING ACROSS BORDERS What are the changes over time? The benchmarks provided by the economies that over possible in making it easier to trade across borders. time have had the best performance regionally or And changes in regional averages can show where globally on the documents, time or cost required to Italy is keeping up—and where it is falling behind. export or import (figure 9.2) help show what is Figure 9.2 Has trading across borders become easier over time? Documents to export (number) Time to export (days) Doing Business 2014 Italy 74 TRADING ACROSS BORDERS Cost to export (US$ per container) Documents to import (number) Doing Business 2014 Italy 75 TRADING ACROSS BORDERS Time to import (days) Cost to import (US$ per container) Note: DB2013 rankings shown are not last year’s published rankings but comparable rankings for DB201 3 that capture the effects of such factors as data corrections and the addition of 4 economies (Libya, Myanmar, San Marino and South Sudan) to the sample this year. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 76 TRADING ACROSS BORDERS In economies around the world, trading across borders systems. These changes help improve the trading as measured by Doing Business has become faster and environment and boost firms’ international easier over the years. Governments have introduced competitiveness. What trade reforms has Doing tools to facilitate trade—including single windows, Business recorded in Italy (table 9.1)? risk-based inspections and electronic data interchange Table 9.1 How has Italy made trading across borders easier—or not? By Doing Business report year DB year Reform DB2009 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2010 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2011 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2012 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2013 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2014 No reform as measured by Doing Business. Note: For information on reforms in earlier years (back to DB2006), see the Doing Business reports for these years, available at http://www.doingbusiness.org. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 77 TRADING ACROSS BORDERS What are the details? The indicators reported here for Italy are based on LOCATION OF STANDARDIZED COMPANY a set of specific procedural requirements for trading a standard shipment of goods by ocean transport (see the section in this chapter on what City: Rome the indicators cover). Information on the procedures as well as the required documents and the time and cost to complete each procedure is The procedural requirements, and the associated time collected from local freight forwarders, shipping and cost, for exporting and importing a standard lines, customs brokers, port officials and banks. shipment of goods are listed in the summary below, along with the required documents. Summary of procedures and documents for trading across borders in Italy OECD high income OECD high income Indicator Italy average average Documents to export (number) 3 4 Time to export (days) 19 11 Cost to export (US$ per container) 1,195 1,070 Documents to import (number) 3 4 Time to import (days) 18 10 Cost to import (US$ per container) 1,145 1,090 Note: In cases where an economy’s regional classification is “OECD high income,” regional averages above are only displayed once. Procedures to export Time (days) Cost (US$) Documents preparation 11 180 Customs clearance and technical control 2 145 Ports and terminal handling 3 345 Inland transportation and handling 3 525 Totals 19 1,195 Procedures to import Time (days) Cost (US$) Documents preparation 10 130 Doing Business 2014 Italy 78 Procedures to import Time (days) Cost (US$) Customs clearance and technical control 2 145 Ports and terminal handling 3 345 Inland transportation and handling 3 525 Totals 18 1,145 Documents to export Documents to import Bill of lading Bill of lading Commercial Invoice Commercial invoice Customs export declaration Customs import declaration Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 79 ENFORCING CONTRACTS Effective commercial dispute resolution has many WHAT THE ENFORCING CONTRACTS benefits. Courts are essential for entrepreneurs INDICATORS MEASURE because they interpret the rules of the market and protect economic rights. Efficient and transparent Procedures to enforce a contract through courts encourage new business relationships the courts (number) because businesses know they can rely on the courts if a new customer fails to pay. Speedy trials Steps to file and serve the case are essential for small enterprises, which may lack Steps for trial and judgment the resources to stay in business while awaiting the outcome of a long court dispute. Steps to enforce the judgment Time required to complete procedures What do the indicators cover? (calendar days) Doing Business measures the efficiency of the Time to file and serve the case judicial system in resolving a commercial dispute before local courts. Following the step-by-step Time for trial and obtaining judgment evolution of a standardized case study, it collects Time to enforce the judgment data relating to the time, cost and procedural complexity of resolving a commercial lawsuit. The Cost required to complete procedures (% of ranking on the ease of enforcing contracts is the claim) simple average of the percentile rankings on its Average attorney fees component indicators: procedures, time and cost. Court costs The dispute in the case study involves the breach Enforcement costs of a sales contract between 2 domestic businesses. The case study assumes that the court hears an expert on the quality of the goods in dispute. This distinguishes the case from simple debt enforcement. To make the data comparable across economies, Doing Business uses several assumptions about the case:  The seller and buyer are located in the economy’s largest business city.  The dispute on the quality of the goods requires an expert opinion.  The buyer orders custom-made goods, then fails to pay.  The judge decides in favor of the seller; there is no appeal.  The seller sues the buyer before a competent court.  The seller enforces the judgment through a public sale of the buyer’s movable assets.  The value of the claim is 200% of income per capita.  The seller requests a pretrial attachment to secure the claim. Doing Business 2014 Italy 80 ENFORCING CONTRACTS Where does the economy stand today? How efficient is the process of resolving a commercial Globally, Italy stands at 103 in the ranking of 189 dispute through the courts in Italy? According to data economies on the ease of enforcing contracts (figure collected by Doing Business, contract enforcement 10.1). The rankings for comparator economies and the takes 1185 days, costs 23.1% of the value of the claim regional average ranking provide other useful and requires 37 procedures (see the summary at the benchmarks for assessing the efficiency of contract end of this chapter for details). enforcement in Italy. Figure 10.1 How Italy and comparator economies rank on the ease of enforcing contracts Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 81 ENFORCING CONTRACTS What are the changes over time? The benchmarks provided by the economies that over help show what is possible in improving the efficiency time have had the best performance regionally or of contract enforcement. And changes in regional globally on the number of steps, time or cost required averages can show where Italy is keeping up—and to enforce a contract through the courts (figure 10.2) where it is falling behind. Figure 10.2 Has enforcing contracts become easier over time? Time (days) Cost (% of claim) Doing Business 2014 Italy 82 ENFORCING CONTRACTS Procedures (number) Note: DB2013 rankings shown are not last year’s published rankings but comparable rankings for DB2013 that capture the effects of such factors as data corrections and the addition of 4 economies (Libya, Myanmar, San Marino and South Sudan) to the sample this year. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 83 ENFORCING CONTRACTS Economies in all regions have improved contract often work on reducing backlogs by introducing enforcement in recent years. A judiciary can be periodic reviews to clear inactive cases from the docket improved in different ways. Higher-income economies and by making procedures faster. What reforms tend to look for ways to enhance efficiency by making it easier (or more difficult) to enforce contracts introducing new technology. Lower-income economies has Doing Business recorded in Italy (table 10.1)? Table 10.1 How has Italy made enforcing contracts easier—or not? By Doing Business report year DB year Reform DB2009 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2010 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2011 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2012 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2013 No reform as measured by Doing Business. Italy made enforcing contracts easier by regulating attorneys’ DB2014 fees and streamlining some court proceedings. Note: For information on reforms in earlier years (back to DB2005), see the Doing Business reports for these years, available at http://www.doingbusiness.org. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 84 ENFORCING CONTRACTS What are the details? The indicators reported here for Italy are based on COURT NAME a set of specific procedural steps required to resolve a standardized commercial dispute through the courts (see the section in this chapter City: Rome on what the indicators cover). These procedures, and the time and cost of completing them, are Claim Value LCU: 51662 identified through study of the codes of civil procedure and other court regulations, as well as Court Name: Rome District Court through surveys completed by local litigation lawyers (and, in a quarter of the economies The procedures for resolving a commercial lawsuit, and covered by Doing Business, by judges as well). the associated time and cost, are listed in the summary below. Summary of procedures for enforcing a contract in Italy—and the time and cost OECD high income OECD high income Indicator Italy average average Time (days) 1,185 529 529 Filing and service 15 Trial and judgment 900 Enforcement of judgment 270 Cost (% of claim) 23.1 21.0 21.0 Attorney cost (% of claim) 15.0 Court cost (% of claim) 2.9 Enforcement Cost (% of claim) 5.2 Procedures (number) 37 31 31 Note: In cases where an economy’s regional classification is “OECD high income,” regional averages above are only displayed once. Doing Business 2014 Italy 85 ENFORCING CONTRACTS No. Procedure Filing and service: Plaintiff requests payment: Plaintiff or his lawyer asks Defendant orally or in writing to comply with the 1 contract. 2 Plaintiff’s hiring of lawyer: Plaintiff hires a lawyer to represent him before the court. Plaintiff’s filing of summons and complaint: Plaintiff files his summons and complaint with the court, orally * or in writing. * Plaintiff’s payment of court fees: Plaintiff pays court duties, stamp duties, or any other type of court fee. Registration of court case: The court administration registers the lawsuit or court case. This includes 3 assigning a reference number to the lawsuit or court case. Assignment of court case to a judge: The court case is assigned to a specific judge through a random * procedure, automated system, ruling of an administrative judge, court officer, etc. Arrangements for physical delivery of summons and complaint: Plaintiff takes whatever steps are * necessary to arrange for physical service of process on Defendant, such as instructing a court officer or a (private) bailiff. First attempt at physical delivery: A first attempt to physically deliver summons and complaint to 4 Defendant is successful in the majority of cases. * Proof of service: Plaintiff submits proof of service to court. Application for pre-judgment attachment: Plaintiff submits an application in writing for the attachment of * Defendant's property prior to judgment. (see assumption 5) Decision on pre-judgment attachment: The judge decides whether to grant Plaintiff’s request for pre- * judgment attachment of Defendant’s property and notifies Plaintiff and Defendant of the decision. This step may include requesting that Plaintiff submit guarantees or bonds to secure Defendant Pre-judgment attachment.: Defendant's property is attached prior to judgment. Attachment is either 5 physical or achieved by registering, marking, debiting or separating assets. (see assumption 5) Report on pre-judgment attachment: Court enforcement officer or (private) bailiff issues and delivers a 6 report on the attachment of Defendant’s property to the judge. (see assumption 5) Hearing on pre-judgment attachment: A hearing takes place to resolve the question of whether 7 Defendant’s assets can be attached prior to judgment. This process may include the submission of separate summons and petitions. (see assumption 5) Trial and judgment: Judge’s resolution on preliminary exemptions: Judge decides on preliminary exemptions separately from 8 the merits of the case. Doing Business 2014 Italy 86 No. Procedure Deadline for Plaintiff to answer Defendant's defense or answer: Judge sets the deadline by which Plaintiff 9 will be allowed to answer Defendant's defense or answer. Plaintiff’s written response to Defendant's defense or answer: Plaintiff responds to Defendant’s defense or 10 answer with a written pleading. Plaintiff's answer may or may not include a witness statements or expert (witness) statements. Filing of pleadings: Plaintiff and Defendant file written pleadings and submissions with the court and 11 transmit copies of the written pleadings or submissions to one another. The pleadings may or may not include witness statements or expert (witness) statements. Court appointment of independent expert: Judge appoints, either at the parties' request or at his own * initiative, an independent expert to decide whether the quality of the goods Plaintiff delivered to Defendant is adequate. (see assumption 6-b of this case) Notification of court-appointment of independent expert: The court notifies both parties that the court is 12 appointing an independent expert. (see assumption 6-b of this case) Delivery of expert report by court-appointed expert: The independent expert appointed by the court * delivers his or her expert report to the court. (see assumption 6-b of this case) * Setting of date(s) for oral hearing or trial: The judge sets the date(s) for the oral hearing or trial. * List of (expert) witnesses: The parties file a list of (expert) witnesses with the court. (see assumption 6-a) Summoning of (expert) witnesses: The court summons (expert) witnesses to appear in court for the oral 13 hearing or trial. (see assumption 6-a) Adjournments: Court proceedings are delayed because one or both parties request and obtain an 14 adjournment to prepare for the oral hearing or trial. Oral hearing (prevalent in civil law): The parties argue the merits of the case at an oral hearing before the 15 judge. Witnesses and a court-appointed independent expert may be heard and questioned at the oral hearing. 16 Closing of the evidence period: The court makes the formal decision to close the evidence period. Order for submission of final arguments: The judge sets the deadline for the submission of final factual 17 and legal arguments. Final arguments: The parties present their final factual and legal arguments to the court either by oral * presentation or by a written submission. 18 Writing of judgment: The judge produces a written copy of the judgment. Registration of judgment: The court office registers the judgment after receiving a written copy of the 19 judgment. Court notification of availability of the written judgment: The court notifies the parties that the written 20 judgment is available at the courthouse. 21 Plaintiff's receipt of a copy of written judgment: Plaintiff receives a copy of the written judgment. Notification of Defendant of judgment: Plaintiff or court formally notifies the Defendant of the judgment. 22 The appeal period starts to run the day the Defendant is formally notified of the judgment. Doing Business 2014 Italy 87 No. Procedure Appeal period: By law, Defendant has the opportunity to appeal the judgment during a period specified in 23 the law. Defendant decides not to appeal. Judgment becomes final the day the appeal period ends. Reimbursement by Defendant of Plaintiff's court fees: The judgment obliges Defendant to reimburse 24 Plaintiff for the court fees Plaintiff has advanced, because Defendant has lost the case. Enforcement of judgment: Plaintiff’s hiring of lawyer: Plaintiff hires a lawyer to enforce the judgment or continues to be represented * by a lawyer during the enforcement of judgment phase. Plaintiff's approaching of court enforcement officer or (private) bailiff to enforce the judgment: To enforce 25 the judgment, Plaintiff approaches a court enforcement officer such as a court bailiff or sheriff, or a private bailiff. Plaintiff’s request for enforcement order: Plaintiff applies to the court to obtain the enforcement order * ('seal' on judgment). Plaintiff’s advancement of enforcement fees: Plaintiff pays the fees related to the enforcement of the 26 judgment. Attachment of enforcement order to judgment: The judge attaches the enforcement order (‘seal’) to the 27 judgment. Delivery of enforcement order: The court's enforcement order is delivered to a court enforcement officer * or a (private) bailiff. Request to Defendant to comply voluntarily with judgment: Plaintiff, a court enforcement officer or a 28 (private) bailiff requests Defendant to voluntarily comply with the judgment, giving Defendant a last chance to comply voluntarily with the judgment. Contestation of selection of assets identified for attachment: The party, Plaintiff or Defendant, who was 29 not involved in the designation of the assets to be attached, contests the selection of assets for attachment. Notification of intent to attach: A court enforcement officer or (private) bailiff notifies other creditors of 30 the intent to attach Defendant's goods. Valuation or appraisal of attached movable goods: The court or court appointed valuation expert 31 evaluates the attached goods. Call for public auction: The judge calls a public auction by, for example, advertising or publication in the 32 newspapers. 33 Sale through public auction: The Defendant’s movable property is sold at public auction. 34 Judge's decision on bids: The judge determines the adequacy of the bids presented at public auction. Distribution of proceeds: The proceeds of the public auction are distributed to various creditors (including 35 Plaintiff), according to the rules of priority. Reimbursement of Plaintiff’s enforcement fees: Defendant reimb urses Plaintiff's enforcement fees which 36 Plaintiff had advanced previously. 37 Payment: Court orders that the proceeds of the public auction or the direct sale be delivered to Plaintiff. Doing Business 2014 Italy 88 * Not counted in the total number of procedures. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 89 RESOLVING INSOLVENCY A robust bankruptcy system functions as a filter, WHAT THE RESOLVING INSOLVENCY ensuring the survival of economically efficient companies and reallocating the resources of INDICATORS MEASURE inefficient ones. Fast and cheap insolvency proceedings result in the speedy return of Time required to recover debt (years) businesses to normal operation and increase Measured in calendar years returns to creditors. By improving the expectations of creditors and debtors about the outcome of Appeals and requests for extension are insolvency proceedings, well-functioning included insolvency systems can facilitate access to finance, Cost required to recover debt (% of debtor’s save more viable businesses and thereby improve estate) growth and sustainability in the economy overall. Measured as percentage of estate value What do the indicators cover? Court fees Doing Business studies the time, cost and outcome Fees of insolvency administrators of insolvency proceedings involving domestic entities. It does not measure insolvency Lawyers’ fees proceedings of individuals and financial Assessors’ and auctioneers’ fees institutions. The data are derived from survey Other related fees responses by local insolvency practitioners and verified through a study of laws and regulations as Outcome well as public information on bankruptcy systems. Whether business continues operating as a The ranking on the ease of resolving insolvency is going concern or business assets are sold based on the recovery rate, which is recorded as piecemeal cents on the dollar recouped by creditors through Recovery rate for creditors (cents on the reorganization, liquidation or debt enforcement dollar) (foreclosure) proceedings. The recovery rate is a Measures the cents on the dollar recovered function of time, cost and other factors, such as by creditors lending rate and the likelihood of the company continuing to operate. Present value of debt recovered To make the data comparable across economies, Official costs of the insolvency proceedings Doing Business uses several assumptions about the are deducted business and the case. It assumes that the Depreciation of furniture is taken into company: account  Is a domestically owned, limited liability Outcome for the business (survival or not) company operating a hotel. affects the maximum value that can be recovered  Operates in the economy’s largest business city.  Has 201 employees, 1 main secured  Has a higher value as a going concern—and creditor and 50 unsecured creditors. the efficient outcome is either reorganization or sale as a going concern, not piecemeal liquidation. Doing Business 2014 Italy 90 RESOLVING INSOLVENCY Where does the economy stand today? Speed, low costs and continuation of viable businesses Globally, Italy stands at 33 in the ranking of 189 characterize the top-performing economies. How economies on the ease of resolving insolvency (figure efficient are insolvency proceedings in Italy? According 11.1). The rankings for comparator economies and the to data collected by Doing Business, resolving regional average ranking provide other useful insolvency takes 1.8 years on average and costs 22% of benchmarks for assessing the efficiency of insolvency the debtor’s estate, with the most likely outcome being proceedings in Italy. that the company will be sold as going concern. The average recovery rate is 62.7 cents on the dollar. Figure 11.1 How Italy and comparator economies rank on the ease of resolving insolvency Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 91 RESOLVING INSOLVENCY What are the changes over time? The benchmarks provided by the economies that over possible in improving the efficiency of insolvency time have had the best performance regionally or proceedings. And changes in regional averages can globally on the time or cost of insolvency proceedings show where Italy is keeping up—and where it is falling or on the recovery rate (figure 11.2) help show what is behind. Figure 11.2 Has resolving insolvency become easier over time? Time (years) Cost (% of estate) Doing Business 2014 Italy 92 RESOLVING INSOLVENCY Recovery rate (cents on the dollar) Note: DB2013 rankings shown are not last year’s published rankings but comparable rankings for DB2013 that capture the effects of such factors as data corrections and the addition of 4 economies (Libya, Myanmar, San Marino and South Sudan) to the sample this year. “No practice” indicates that in each of the previous 5 years the economy had no cases involving a judicial reorganization, judicial liquidation or debt enforcement procedure (foreclosure). This means that creditors are unlikely to recover their money through a formal legal process (in or out of court). The recovery rate for “no practice” economies is 0. Regional averages on time and cost exclude economies with a “no practice” mark. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 93 RESOLVING INSOLVENCY A well-balanced bankruptcy system distinguishes change. Many recent reforms of bankruptcy laws have companies that are financially distressed but been aimed at helping more of the viable businesses economically viable from inefficient companies that survive. What insolvency reforms has Doing Business should be liquidated. But in some insolvency systems recorded in Italy (table 11.1)? even viable businesses are liquidated. This is starting to Table 11.1 How has Italy made resolving insolvency easier—or not? By Doing Business report year DB year Reform DB2009 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2010 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2011 No reform as measured by Doing Business. Italy introduced debt restructuring and reorganization procedures as alternatives to bankruptcy proceedings and DB2012 extended further rights to secured creditors during insolvency proceedings. DB2013 No reform as measured by Doing Business. Italy made resolving insolvency easier through amendments to its bankruptcy code that introduce a stay period for enforcement actions while the debtor is preparing a restructuring plan, make it easier to convert from one type of DB2014 restructuring proceeding to another, facilitate continued operation by the debtor during restructuring and imposes stricter requirements on auditors evaluating a restructuring plan. Note: For information on reforms in earlier years (back to DB2005), see the Doing Business reports for these years, available at http://www.doingbusiness.org. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 94 EMPLOYING WORKERS Doing Business measures flexibility in the regulation of employing workers methodology proposed by the employment, specifically as it affects the hiring and consultative group are available on the Doing Business redundancy of workers and the rigidity of working website (http://www.doingbusiness.org). The data on hours. Over the period from 2007 to 2011 employing workers are based on a detailed survey of improvements were made to align the methodology employment regulations that is completed by local for the employing workers indicators with the letter lawyers and public officials. Employment laws and and spirit of the International Labour Organization regulations as well as secondary sources are reviewed (ILO) conventions. Only 4 of the 188 ILO conventions to ensure accuracy. cover areas measured by Doing Business: employee To make the data comparable across economies, termination, weekend work, holiday with pay and night several assumptions about the worker and the work. The Doing Business methodology is fully business are used. consistent with these 4 conventions. The ILO conventions covering areas related to the Employing The worker: Workers indicators do not include the ILO core labor  Earns a salary plus benefits equal to the standards—8 conventions covering the right to economy’s average wage during the entire collective bargaining, the elimination of forced labor, period of his employment. the abolition of child labor and equitable treatment in  Has a pay period that is the most common for workers in the economy. employment practices.  Is a lawful citizen who belongs to the same race and religion as the majority of the Between 2009 and 2011 the World Bank Group worked economy’s population. with a consultative group—including labor lawyers,  Resides in the economy’s largest business city. employer and employee representatives, and experts  Is not a member of a labor union, unless from the ILO, OECD, civil society and the private membership is mandatory. sector—to review the employing workers methodology and explore future areas of research. A i The business:  Is a limited liability company. full report with the conclusions of the consultative  Operates in the economy’s largest business group is available at city. http://www.doingbusiness.org/methodology/employin  Is 100% domestically owned. g-workers.  Operates in the manufacturing sector.  Has 60 employees. This year Doing Business continued research collecting  Is subject to collective bargaining agreements additional data on regulations covering the in economies where such agreements cover probationary period for new employees. more than half the manufacturing sector and apply even to firms not party to them. Doing Business 2014 presents the data on the  Abides by every law and regulation but does not grant workers more benefits than employing workers indicators in an annex. The report mandated by law, regulation or (if applicable) does not present rankings of economies on the collective bargaining agreement. employing workers indicators nor include the topic in the aggregate ranking on the ease of doing business. Detailed data collected on labor regulations and the Doing Business 2014 Italy 95 EMPLOYING WORKERS What do some of the data show? One of the employing workers indicators is the worker in his or her first job. Doing Business data show difficulty of hiring index. This measure assesses, among the trend in the minimum wage applied by Italy (figure other things, the minimum wage for a 19-year-old 12.1). Figure 12.1 Has the minimum wage for a 19-year-old worker or an apprentice increased over time? Minimum wage (US$ per month) Note: A horizontal line along the x-axis of the figure indicates that the economy has no minimum wage. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 96 EMPLOYING WORKERS Employment laws are needed to protect workers from past 5 years did so in ways that increased labor market arbitrary or unfair treatment and to ensure efficient flexibility. What changes did Italy adopt that affected contracting between employers and workers. Many the Doing Business indicators on employing workers economies that changed their labor regulations in the (table 12.1)? Table 12.1 What changes did Italy make in employing workers in 2013? DB year Reform DB2009 Italy increased the notice period for redundancy dismissals. Italy allowed the use of fixed-term contracts for permanent DB2010 tasks. DB2011 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2012 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2013 No reform as measured by Doing Business. DB2014 No reform as measured by Doing Business. Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 97 EMPLOYING WORKERS What are the details? The data on employing workers reported here for Italy public officials. Employment laws and regulations as are based on a detailed survey of employment well as secondary sources are reviewed to ensure regulations that is completed by local lawyers and accuracy. Rigidity of employment index The rigidity of employment index measures 3 areas of labor regulation: difficulty of hiring, rigidity of hours and difficulty of redundancy. Difficulty of hiring index The difficulty of hiring index measures whether fixed- worker. (The average value added per worker is the term contracts are prohibited for permanent tasks; the ratio of an economy’s gross national income per capita maximum cumulative duration of fixed-term contracts; to the working-age population as a percentage of the and the ratio of the minimum wage for a trainee or total population.) first-time employee to the average value added per Difficulty of hiring index Data Fixed-term contracts prohibited for permanent tasks? No 44 months - After this period a fixed-term workers aquires the right to a permanent Maximum length of a single fixed-term contract (months) position in the same firm (Art. 4, letter A, Title I, Section IV of the Collective Bargaining Agreement of metal workers) Maximum length of fixed-term contracts, including renewals (months) 44 Minimum wage for a 19-year old worker or an apprentice (US$/month) 1779.0 Ratio of minimum wage to value added per worker 0.41 Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 98 EMPLOYING WORKERS Rigidity of hours index The rigidity of hours index has 5 components: whether respond to a seasonal increase in production; and there are restrictions on night work; whether there are whether the average paid annual leave for a worker restrictions on weekly holiday work; whether the with 1 year of tenure, a worker with 5 years and a workweek can consist of 5.5 days or is more than 6 worker with 10 years is more than 26 working days or days; whether the workweek can extend to 50 hours or fewer than 15 working days. more (including overtime) for 2 months a year to Rigidity of hours index Data Most often 8 hours, but sometimes 7 if worker has a 5.5-day workweek rather Standard workday in manufacturing (hours) than a 5-day workweek. (The law only specifies generally a 40-hour workweek.) 50-hour workweek allowed for 2 months a year in case of a seasonal Yes increase in production? Maximum working days per week 6.0 Premium for night work (% of hourly pay) in case of continuous 15% operations Premium for work on weekly rest day (% of hourly pay) in case of 50% continuous operations Major restrictions on night work in case of continuous operations? Yes Major restrictions on weekly holiday in case of continuous operations? No Paid annual leave for a worker with 1 year of tenure (in working days) 20.0 Paid annual leave for a worker with 5 years of tenure (in working days) 20.0 Paid annual leave for a worker with 10 years of tenure (in working days) 21.0 Paid annual leave (average for workers with 1, 5 and 10 years of tenure, in 20.3 working days) Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 99 EMPLOYING WORKERS Difficulty of redundancy index The difficulty of redundancy index has 8 components: worker; whether the employer needs approval from a whether redundancy is disallowed as a basis for third party to terminate a group of 9 redundant terminating workers; whether the employer needs to workers; whether the law requires the employer to notify a third party (such as a government agency) to reassign or retrain a worker before making the worker terminate 1 redundant worker; whether the employer redundant; whether priority rules apply for needs to notify a third party to terminate a group of 9 redundancies; and whether priority rules apply for redundant workers; whether the employer needs reemployment. approval from a third party to terminate 1 redundant Difficulty of redundancy index Data Dismissal due to redundancy allowed by law? Yes Third-party notification if 1 worker is dismissed? No Third-party approval if 1 worker is dismissed? No Third-party notification if 9 workers are dismissed? Yes Third-party approval if 9 workers are dismissed? No Retraining or reassignment obligation before redundancy? Yes Priority rules for redundancies? Yes Priority rules for reemployment? Yes Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 100 EMPLOYING WORKERS Redundancy cost The redundancy cost indicator measures the cost of notice requirements and severance payments advance notice requirements, severance payments and applicable to a worker with 1 year of tenure, a worker penalties due when terminating a redundant worker, with 5 years and a worker with 10 years is used to expressed in weeks of salary. The average value of assign the score. Redundancy cost indicator Data Notice period for redundancy dismissal (for a worker with 1 year of tenure, in salary 6.5 weeks) Notice period for redundancy dismissal (for a worker with 5 years of tenure, in 6.5 salary weeks) Notice period for redundancy dismissal (for a worker with 10 years of tenure, in 8.7 salary weeks) Notice period for redundancy dismissal (average for workers with 1, 5 and 10 years 7.2 of tenure, in salary weeks) Severance pay for redundancy dismissal (for a worker with 1 year of tenure, in 0.0 salary weeks) Severance pay for redundancy dismissal (for a worker with 5 years of tenure, in 0.0 salary weeks) Severance pay for redundancy dismissal (for a worker with 10 years of tenure, in 0.0 salary weeks) Severance pay for redundancy dismissal (average for workers with 1, 5 and 10 years 0.0 of tenure, in salary weeks) Source: Doing Business database. Doing Business 2014 Italy 101 DATA NOTES The indicators presented and analyzed in Doing rounds of verification, leading to revisions or Business measure business regulation and the expansions of the information collected. protection of property rights—and their effect on businesses, especially small and medium-size domestic firms. First, the indicators document the complexity of ECONOMY CHARACTERISTICS regulation, such as the number of procedures to start a business or to register and transfer commercial property. Second, they gauge the time and cost to Gross national income per capita achieve a regulatory goal or comply with regulation, such as the time and cost to enforce a contract, go Doing Business 2014 reports 2012 income per capita through bankruptcy or trade across borders. Third, as published in the World Bank’s World Development they measure the extent of legal protections of Indicators 2013. Income is calculated using the Atlas property, for example, the protections of investors method (current U.S. dollars). For cost indicators against looting by company directors or the range of expressed as a percentage of income per capita, assets that can be used as collateral according to 2012 gross national income (GNI) in U.S. dollars is secured transactions laws. Fourth, a set of indicators used as the denominator. GNI data were not documents the tax burden on businesses. Finally, a set available from the World Bank for Afghanistan, The of data covers different aspects of employment Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Brunei Darussalam, regulation. The 11 sets of indicators measured in Djibouti, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Doing Business were added over time, and the sample Myanmar, New Zealand, Oman, San Marino, the of economies expanded. Syrian Arab Republic, West Bank and Gaza, and the Republic of Yemen. In these cases GDP or GNP per The data for all sets of indicators in Doing Business 2 capita data and growth rates from other sources, 2014 are for June 2013. such as the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook database and the Economist Intelligence Unit, were used. Methodology Region and income group The Doing Business data are collected in a standardized way. To start, the Doing Business team, Doing Business uses the World Bank regional and with academic advisers, designs a questionnaire. The income group classifications, available at questionnaire uses a simple business case to ensure http://data.worldbank.org/about/country- classifications. The World Bank does not assign comparability across economies and over time—with regional classifications to high-income economies. assumptions about the legal form of the business, its For the purpose of the Doing Business report, high- size, its location and the nature of its operations. income OECD economies are assigned the “regional” Questionnaires are administered to more than 10,200 classification OECD high income. Figures and tables local experts, including lawyers, business consultants, presenting regional averages include economies accountants, freight forwarders, government officials from all income groups (low, lower middle, upper and other professionals routinely administering or middle and high income). advising on legal and regulatory requirements (table Population 21.2). These experts have several rounds of interaction with the Doing Business team, involving conference Doing Business 2014 reports midyear 2012 calls, written correspondence and visits by the team. population statistics as published in World For Doing Business 2014 team members visited 33 Development Indicators 2013. economies to verify data and recruit respondents. The data from questionnaires are subjected to numerous The Doing Business methodology offers several advantages. It is transparent, using factual information about what laws and regulations say and allowing 2 The data for paying taxes refer to January – December 2012. multiple interactions with local respondents to clarify Doing Business 2014 Italy 102 potential misinterpretations of questions. Having entrepreneurs reported in the World Bank Enterprise representative samples of respondents is not an issue; Surveys or other perception surveys. Doing Business is not a statistical survey, and the texts This year Doing Business completed subnational of the relevant laws and regulations are collected and studies in Colombia, Italy and the city of Hargeisa answers checked for accuracy. The methodology is (Somaliland) and is currently updating indicators in inexpensive and easily replicable, so data can be Egypt, Mexico and Nigeria. Doing Business also collected in a large sample of economies. Because published regional studies for the g7+ and the East standard assumptions are used in the data collection, African Community. The g7+ group is a country- comparisons and benchmarks are valid across owned and country-led global mechanism established economies. Finally, the data not only highlight the in April 2010 to monitor, report and draw attention to extent of specific regulatory obstacles to business but the unique challenges faced by fragile states. The also identify their source and point to what might be member countries included in the report are reformed. Information on the methodology for each Afghanistan, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Doing Business topic can be found on the Doing Chad, the Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Business website at Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, http://www.doingbusiness.org/methodology. Liberia, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone, the Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Timor-Leste and Togo. Limits to what is measured The subnational studies point to differences in business regulation and its implementation —as well as The Doing Business methodology has 5 limitations that in the pace of regulatory reform—across cities in the should be considered when interpreting the data. First, same economy. For several economies subnational the collected data refer to businesses in the economy’s studies are now periodically updated to measure largest business city (which in some economies differs change over time or to expand geographic coverage from the capital) and may not be representative of to additional cities. This year that is the case for all the regulation in other parts of the economy. To address subnational studies published. this limitation, subnational Doing Business indicators were created (box 21.1). Second, the data often focus on a specific business form—generally a limited liability company (or its legal equivalent) of a specified Changes in what is measured size—and may not be representative of the regulation The methodology for 2 indicator sets—trading across on other businesses, for example, sole proprietorships. borders and paying taxes—was updated this year. For Third, transactions described in a standardized case trading across borders, documents that are required scenario refer to a specific set of issues and may not purely for purposes of preferential treatment are no represent the full set of issues a business encounters. longer included in the list of documents (for example, Fourth, the measures of time involve an element of a certificate of origin if the use is only to qualify for a judgment by the expert respondents. When sources preferential tariff rate under trade agreements). For indicate different estimates, the time indicators paying taxes, the value of fuel taxes is no longer reported in Doing Business represent the median included in the total tax rate because of the difficulty values of several responses given under the of computing these taxes in a consistent way across all assumptions of the standardized case. economies covered. The fuel tax amounts are in most cases very small, and measuring these amounts is Finally, the methodology assumes that a business has often complicated because they depend on fuel full information on what is required and does not consumption. Fuel taxes continue to be counted in the waste time when completing procedures. In practice, number of payments. completing a procedure may take longer if the business lacks information or is unable to follow up In a change involving several indicator sets, the rule promptly. Alternatively, the business may choose to establishing that each procedure must take at least 1 disregard some burdensome procedures. For both day was removed for procedures that can be fully reasons the time delays reported in Doing Business completed online in just a few hours. This change 2014 would differ from the recollection of affects the time indicator for starting a business, Doing Business 2014 Italy 103 dealing with construction permits and registering with one another, while the distance to frontier property. For procedures that can be fully completed measure benchmarks economies to the frontier in 3 online, the duration is now set at half a day rather than regulatory practice, measuring the absolute distance to a full day. the best performance on each indicator. Both measures can be used for comparisons over time. The threshold for the total tax rate introduced in 2011 When compared across years, the distance to frontier for the purpose of calculating the ranking on the ease measure shows how much the regulatory environment of paying taxes was updated. All economies with a for local entrepreneurs in each economy has changed total tax rate below the threshold (which is calculated over time in absolute terms, while the ease of doing and adjusted on a yearly basis) receive the same business ranking can show only relative change. ranking on the total tax rate indicator. The threshold is not based on any economic theory of an “optimal tax Ease of doing business rate” that minimizes distortions or maximizes efficiency The ease of doing business index ranks economies in the tax system of an economy overall. Instead, it is from 1 to 189. For each economy the ranking is mainly empirical in nature, set at the lower end of the calculated as the simple average of the percentile distribution of tax rates levied on medium-size rankings on each of the 10 topics included in the index enterprises in the manufacturing sector as observed in Doing Business 2014: starting a business, dealing through the paying taxes indicators. This reduces the with construction permits, getting electricity, bias in the indicators toward economies that do not registering property, getting credit, protecting need to levy significant taxes on companies like the investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, Doing Business standardized case study company enforcing contracts, and resolving insolvency. The because they raise public revenue in other ways—for employing workers indicators are not included in this example, through taxes on foreign companies, through year’s aggregate ease of doing business ranking. taxes on sectors other than manufacturing or from natural resources (all of which are outside the scope of Construction of the ease of doing business index the methodology). This year the threshold is 25,5%. Here is one example of how the ease of doing business index is constructed. In Denmark it takes 4 procedures, 5.5 days and 0.2% of annual income per capita in fees Data challenges and revisions to open a business. The minimum capital requirement Most laws and regulations underlying the Doing is 24% of annual income per capita. On these 4 Business data are available on the Doing Business indicators Denmark ranks in the 12th, 11th, 1st and website at http://www.doingbusiness.org. All the 79th percentiles. So on average Denmark ranks in the sample questionnaires and the details underlying the 25th percentile on the ease of starting a business. It indicators are also published on the website. Questions ranks in the 21st percentile on getting credit, 19th on the methodology and challenges to data can be percentile on paying taxes, 27th percentile on submitted through the website’s “Ask a Question” enforcing contracts, 5th percentile on resolving function at http://www.doingbusiness.org. insolvency and so on. Higher rankings indicate simpler regulation and stronger protection of property rights. Ease of doing business and distance to The simple average of Denmark’s percentile rankings frontier on all topics is 17th. When all economies are ordered Doing Business 2014 presents results for 2 aggregate by their average percentile rankings, Denmark stands measures: the aggregate ranking on the ease of doing at 5 in the aggregate ranking on the ease of doing business and the distance to frontier measure. The business. ease of doing business ranking compares economies More complex aggregation methods—such as 3 For getting electricity the rule that each procedure must take a principal components and unobserved components— minimum of 1 day still applies because in practice there are no yield a ranking nearly identical to the simple average cases in which procedures can be fully completed online in less than a day. For example, even though in some cases it is possible to apply for an electricity connection online, additional requirements mean that the process cannot be completed in less than 1 day. Doing Business 2014 Italy 104 4 used by Doing Business. Thus, Doing Business uses 58 on enforcing contracts, 116 on dealing with the simplest method: weighting all topics equally and, construction permits and 145 on getting electricity. within each topic, giving equal weight to each of the Variation in performance across the indicator sets is topic components. not at all unusual. It reflects differences in the degree If an economy has no laws or regulations covering a of priority that government authorities give to specific area—for example, insolvency—it receives a particular areas of business regulation reform and the “no practice” mark. Similarly, an economy receives a ability of different government agencies to deliver “no practice” or “not possible” mark if regulation exists tangible results in their area of responsibility. but is never used in practice or if a competing Distance to frontier measure regulation prohibits such practice. Either way, a “no practice” mark puts the economy at the bottom of the A drawback of the ease of doing business ranking is ranking on the relevant indicator. that it can measure the regulatory performance of economies only relative to the performance of others. The ease of doing business index is limited in scope. It It does not provide information on how the absolute does not account for an economy’s proximity to large quality of the regulatory environment is improving markets, the quality of its infrastructure services (other over time. Nor does it provide information on how than services related to trading across borders and large the gaps are between economies at a single getting electricity), the strength of its financial system, point in time. the security of property from theft and looting, macroeconomic conditions or the strength of The distance to frontier measure is designed to underlying institutions. address both shortcomings, complementing the ease of doing business ranking. This measure illustrates the Variability of economies’ rankings across topics distance of an economy to the “frontier,” and the Each indicator set measures a different aspect of the change in the measure over time shows the extent to business regulatory environment. The rankings of an which the economy has closed this gap. The frontier is economy can vary, sometimes significantly, across a score derived from the most efficient practice or indicator sets. The average correlation coefficient highest score achieved on each of the component between the 10 indicator sets included in the indicators in 10 Doing Business indicator sets aggregate ranking is 0.38, and the coefficients (excluding the employing workers indicators) by any between any 2 sets of indicators range from 0.18 economy. In starting a business, for example, Canada (between getting electricity and getting credit) to 0.58 and New Zealand have achieved the highest (between trading across borders and resolving performance on the number of procedures required (1) insolvency and between trading across borders and and on the time (0.5 days), Denmark and Slovenia on getting electricity). These correlations suggest that the cost (0% of income per capita) and Chile, Zambia economies rarely score universally well or universally and 99 other economies on the paid-in minimum badly on the indicators. capital requirement (0% of income per capita) (table 22.2). Consider the example of Canada. It stands at 19 in the aggregate ranking on the ease of doing business. Its Calculating the distance to frontier for each economy ranking is 2 on starting a business, 4 on protecting involves 2 main steps. First, individual indicator scores investors, and 8 on paying taxes. But its ranking is only are normalized to a common unit: except for the total tax rate, each of the 31 component indicators y is rescaled to (max − y)/(max − min), with the minimum 4 See Simeon Djankov, Darshini Manraj, Caralee McLiesh and Rita Ramalho, “Doing Business Indicators: Why Aggregate, and How to value (min) representing the frontier—the highest Do It” (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2005). Principal components performance on that indicator across all economies and unobserved components methods yield a ranking nearly since 2003 or the first year the indicator was collected. 5 identical to that from the simple average method because both these methods assign roughly equal weights to the topics, since the For the total tax rate, consistent with the calculation of pairwise correlations among indicators do not differ much. An alternative to the simple average method is to give different weights to the topics, depending on which are considered of more or less 5 Even though scores for the distance to frontier are calculated from importance in the context of a specific economy. 2005, data from as early as 2003 are used to define the frontier Doing Business 2014 Italy 105 the rankings, the frontier is defined as the total tax rate Economies that improved the most across 3 or at the 15th percentile of the overall distribution of more Doing Business topics in 2012/13 total tax rates for all years. Second, for each economy Doing Business 2014 uses a simple method to calculate the scores obtained for individual indicators are which economies improved the most in the ease of aggregated through simple averaging into one doing business. First, it selects the economies that in distance to frontier score, first for each topic and then 2012/13 implemented regulatory reforms making it across all topics. An economy’s distance to frontier is easier to do business in 3 or more of the 10 topics indicated on a scale from 0 to 100, where 0 represents included in this year’s ease of doing business ranking. 6 the lowest performance and 100 the frontier. Twenty-nine economies meet this criterion: Azerbaijan, The maximum (max) and minimum (min) observed Belarus, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Djibouti, values are computed for all economies included in the Gabon, Guatemala, Guinea, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, the Doing Business sample since 2003 and for all years former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malaysia, (from 2003 to 2013). To mitigate the effects of extreme Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, outliers in the distributions of the rescaled data (very Panama, the Philippines, the Republic of Congo, few economies need 694 days to complete the Romania, the Russian Federation, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, procedures to start a business, but many need 9 days), Ukraine, Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates. th the maximum (max) is defined as the 95 percentile of Second, Doing Business sorts these economies on the the pooled data for all economies and all years for increase in their distance to frontier measure from the each indicator. The exceptions are the getting credit, previous year using comparable data. protecting investors and resolving insolvency Selecting the economies that implemented regulatory indicators, whose construction precludes outliers. In reforms in at least 3 topics and improved the most in addition, the cost to export and cost to import for each the distance to frontier measure is intended to year are divided by the GDP deflator, so as to take the highlight economies with ongoing, broadbased reform general price level into account when benchmarking programs. The criterion for identifying the top these absolute-cost indicators across economies with improvers was changed from last year. The different inflation trends. The base year for the deflator improvement in ease of doing business ranking is no is 2013 for all economies. longer used. The improvement in the distance to The difference between an economy’s distance to frontier measure is used instead because under this frontier score in any previous year and its score in measure economies are sorted according to their abs- 2013 illustrates the extent to which the economy has olute improvement instead of relative improvement. closed the gap to the frontier over time. And in any given year the score measures how far an economy is from the highest performance at that time. Take Colombia, which has a score of 70.5 on the distance to frontier measure for 2014. This score indicates that the economy is 29.5 percentage points away from the frontier constructed from the best performances across all economies and all years. Colombia was further from the frontier in 2009, with a score of 66.2. The difference between the scores shows an improvement over time. The distance to frontier measure can also be used for comparisons across economies in the same year, complementing the ease of doing business ranking. For example, Colombia stands at 63 this year in the ease of doing business ranking, while Peru, which is 6 Doing Business reforms making it more difficult to do business are 29.3 percentage points from the frontier, stands at 42. subtracted from the total number of those making it easier to do business. Doing Business 2014 Italy 107 RESOURCES ON THE DOING BUSINESS WEBSITE Current features Doing Business reforms News on the Doing Business project Short summaries of DB2014 business regulation http://www.doingbusiness.org reforms, lists of reforms since DB2008 and a ranking simulation tool Rankings http://www.doingbusiness.org/reforms/ How economies rank—from 1 to 189 http://www.doingbusiness.org/rankings/ Historical data Customized data sets since DB2004 Data http://www.doingbusiness.org/custom-query/ All the data for 189 economies—topic rankings, indicator values, lists of regulatory procedures and Law library details underlying indicators Online collection of business laws and regulations http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/ relating to business and gender issues http://www.doingbusiness.org/law-library/ Reports http://wbl.worldbank.org/ Access to Doing Business reports as well as subnational and regional reports, reform case Contributors studies and customized economy and regional More than 10,200 specialists in 189 economies profiles who participate in Doing Business http://www.doingbusiness.org/reports/ http://www.doingbusiness.org/contributors/doing- business/ Methodology The methodologies and research papers Entrepreneurship data underlying Doing Business Data on business density for 139 economies http://www.doingbusiness.org/methodology/ http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploretopics/e ntrepreneurship Research Abstracts of papers on Doing Business topics and Doing Business iPhone App related policy issues Doing Business at a Glance App presents the full http://www.doingbusiness.org/research/ report, rankings and highlights http://www.doingbusiness.org/specialfeatures/ iphone Doing Business 2014 Italy 108