World Bank's "Doing Business 2013" report: Israel declined from 34th to 38th

The report looked at 185 countries. At the top: Singapore, Hong Kong and New Zealand
 
According to the World Bank and IFC's latest Doing Business report issued last week, Israel declined from the 34th place to the 38th.
 
Singapore, Hong Kong and New Zealand continue to be the easiest countries in the world to do business in. The U.S., Denmark and Georgia were a new entrant to the top 10.
 
The report, Doing Business 2013: Smarter Regulations for Small and Medium-Size Enterprises, is the tenth in the World Bank/IFC’s Doing Business series, measuring regulations affecting 11 areas of everyday business activity: Starting a business; Dealing with construction permits; Getting electricity; Registering property; Getting credit; Protecting investors; Paying taxes; Trading across borders; Enforcing contracts; Closing a business; Employing workers.
 
The study looks at 185 countries, and examines such indicators as how long it takes to start a business, and how difficult and time consuming it is to submit tax returns, export or import goods, obtain credit and register a property.
 
Topping the list of economies that registered the biggest improvements in the ease of doing business over the past year were Poland, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Burundi, Costa Rica, Mongolia, Greece, Serbia, and Kazakhstan. Australia moved up to 10th place from 15th, Malaysia to 12th from 18th, and Taiwan to 16th from 25th. (See chart, below.)
 
Also moving up were the UAE (to 26th from 33rd), Italy (to 73rd from 87th), and the Russian Federation (112th from 120th).
 
Decliners incuded Saudi Arabia (22nd from 12th), Israel (38th from 34th), Argentina (124th from 113th) and Kenya (121st from 109th).