Regulatory Efficiency News and Events

This assessment evaluates Zambia’s business climate in the copper mining sector, focusing on regulatory requirements and the efficiency of processes for obtaining exploration and mining licenses for artisanal, small-scale, and large-scale operators in the Copperbelt and North-Western Provinces. The findings provide insights into the regulatory environment and its efficiency, and highlight opportunities for reform.

The 2025 Ireland Subnational Business Ready report was presented in Washington, D.C., with remote participation from government officials, EU representatives and World Bank colleagues. The report analyses the business climate in five Irish cities and provides data-driven insights for improving key areas of the business lifecycle.

Data and evidence were at the center of a compelling session at FGV – Fundação Getulio Vargas in Brazil, where Gina Stefany Cardenas Varon presented the work of the World Bank’s Policy Indicators Group. Drawing on the B‑READY methodology, she illustrated how rigorous, comparable data can be used to assess the business climate at both global and subnational levels. 

This study assesses the regulatory environment in five cities, focusing on the following key areas: Business Entry, Building Permits, Utilities, Dispute Resolution, and Property Transfer. The findings will offer data-driven insights to inform reforms and improve the business climate. 

The 2025 Czechia Subnational Business Ready report was presented in Washington, D.C., with remote participation from government officials, EU representatives and World Bank colleagues. The report analyses the business climate in seven Czech cities and provides data-driven insights for improving key areas of the business lifecycle.

Letizia Bombardieri presented the key findings of the Subnational Business Ready in Italy 2025 report at the national meeting of the Italian Association of Entrepreneurs for an Economy of Communion (AIPEC) in Turin. She discussed differences in public service delivery across Italian cities, sparking a rich conversation on how stronger public infrastructure can empower the private sector to act as a catalyst for peace, justice, and sustainable development.

This study assesses the regulatory environment in seven cities, focusing on the following key areas: Business Entry, Building Permits, Utilities, Dispute Resolution, and Property Transfer. The findings will offer data-driven insights to inform reforms and improve the business climate. 

This study assesses the regulatory environment in thirteen cities, focusing on the following key areas: Business Entry, Building Permits, Utilities, Dispute Resolution, and Property Transfer. The findings will offer data-driven insights to inform reforms and improve the business climate. Publication of the full report is expected in February 2026.

Gina Cardenas Varon contributed to a fruitful conversation during the Americas Competitiveness Exchange - ACE in Córdoba, Argentina. They explored Córdoba’s productive and industrial core, visiting companies, industrial parks, universities, and technology centers, and seeing firsthand how collaboration among the public sector, private industry, and academia drives innovation and local development.

The Subnational B-Ready team hosted an event focused on improving local business environments, featuring distinguished speakers including Mari Elka Pangestu, V Anantha Nageswaran, Evi Dramalioti Marton Bokay, Diana Alarcon and Norman Loayza. Valentina Saltane presented key findings from the Subnational B-Ready in the EU Series 2024 and highlighted upcoming initiatives.

This study assesses the regulatory environment in four cities, focusing on the following key areas: Business Entry, Building Permits, Dispute Resolution, and Property Transfer. The findings will offer data-driven insights to inform reforms and improve the business climate. Publication is expected in early 2026.

The Subnational B-READY project is expanding to over 90 cities in Czechia, Germany, Greece, France, Ireland, Italy, Poland, and Spain, continuing efforts to strengthen regional business climates and promote economic cohesion across the EU. Publication is expected in early 2026.

We are pleased to announce that the preparatory phase for project implementation is now underway. The study will cover Business Entry, Property Transfer, Building Permits, and Dispute Resolution across 10 cities, with the possibility of expanding to additional areas in later stages of the project.

Gina Cardenas Varon contributed to rich conversation on how actionable data can empower local governments to improve their business environments and foster private sector growth.

Burak Turkgulu presented Subnational B-READY findings at the 64th ERSA Congress in Athens, sharing insights on regional competitiveness, public services, and the business environment.

Our colleagues Ana Santillana Farakos and Alessio Zanelli represented the Subnational Business Ready team at the CEBC annual meeting in Warsaw, Poland, focused on “Digitization – The Future of Building Control.” They shared best practices in building permitting and insights from recent subnational reports.

Regulatory Efficiency Manager Valentina Saltane analyzed Brazil’s complex business environment. She explained how regulatory differences across Brazilian states impact entrepreneurs and businesses, and how improved subnational data can help tailor smarter, more efficient policies that empower businesses and foster substantive economic growth.

At the 2025 Regional Studies Association Annual Conference in Porto, our colleague Penelope Fidas participated in a panel on strengthening institutions for sustainable and inclusive regional development. She shared key insights from the Initial Phase of the Subnational Business Ready project in the EU, conducted with support from the European Commission.

The 2024 Bulgaria Subnational Business Ready report was presented in Sofia and Burgas, with participation from Bulgarian government representatives, local authorities, and World Bank officials. The report analyzes the business climate in six Bulgarian cities and provides data-driven insights for improving key areas of the business lifecycle.

The 2024 Romania Subnational Business Ready Report was presented in Bucharest, bringing together government officials, EU representatives, mayors, and World Bank Group colleagues. It offers key insights into the business climates of nine Romanian cities, aiming to support policy decisions that foster private sector growth, job creation, and sustainability.