Vietnam has the most red tape in Asia
Vietnam has the most red tape in Asia with India a close second, according
to a survey published in Hong Kong Monday.
At the other end of the scale, Hong Kong and Singapore were rated as the
locations where businessmen ran up against the fewest regulations.
Businessmen in 13 Asian countries were asked to rate the bureaucracies
where they worked on a scale of one to 10 with the lower the score meaning
the less red tape.
Vietnam scored 9.5 and India 9, with China close behind with a score of
8.9. Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines all scored 8.
In the middle range for red tape, Taiwan scored 6.57, Malaysia scored 6.5,
South Korea 6.3 and Japan 6.
The least red tape was encountered in Hong Kong, which scored 3.29;
Singapore, 3.6; and Australia, 4.
The annual survey by the Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk
Consultancy described civil servants in Vietnam as "some of the most
difficult to work with in Asia.''
The report also sounded caution over China in the run-up to its entry to the
World Trade Organisation (WTO), saying its civil servants could still be
"very obstructionist.''
Meanwhile, Supachai Panitchpakdi, who takes over as head of the world
trade body in September 2002, said China remained on track to enter the
WTO within the first half of 2001.
He was commenting on a Chinese newspaper quoting China Foreign Trade
Minister Shi Guangsheng as saying its WTO accession was not likely until
October or November of this year.
The Star (Malaysia) - February 27, 2001.
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