Copyright © 2008The World Bank Group1818 H Street, NW Washington, DC 20433 All rights reservedDecember 2008 Available online at www.fias.netThe material in this publication is copyrighted. Copying and/or transmitting portions or all of this work without permissionmay be a violation of applicable law. The World Bank Group encourages dissemination of its work and will normally grantpermission to reproduce portions of the work promptly.For permission to photocopy or reprint, please send a request with complete information to:Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.222 Rosewood DriveDanvers, MA 01923, USA t. 978-750-8400; f.978-750-4470 www.copyright.com All queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to:The Office of the PublisherThe World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, DC 20433, USA f. 202-522-2422e-mail: pubrights@worldbank.orgThe World Bank Group’s Investment Climate Department (CIC) is the operational center for the International FinanceCorporation’s (IFC’s) Business Enabling Environment Advisory Services and FIAS, the multi-donor investment climateadvisory service. CIC assists the governments of developing countries and transitional economies in reforming their businessenvironments, with emphasis on regulatory simplification and investment generation. CIC relies on close collaboration withits donors and World Bank Group partners—IFC, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and the WorldBank (IBRD)—to leverage value and deliver tangible results for client governments.The Organizations (IFC, MIGA, and IBRD), through FIAS, endeavor, using their best efforts in the time available, to providehigh quality services hereunder and have relied on information provided to them by a wide range of other sources. However,they do not make any representations or warranties regarding the completeness or accuracy of the information included in thispublication.Cover photo credits: globe–Patricia Hord Design (also appears on chapter opening pages); photo inserts–Curt Carnemark/ World Bank.