Business regulation reform is spreading. A record 131 economies around the globe reformed business regulation in 2008/09, according to the IFC-World Bank Doing Business 2010 report. That is more than 70 percent of the 183 economies covered by the report- the largest share in any year since the annual report was first published in 2004. The report points out that this progress came against the backdrop of a global economic crisis. 287 reforms were recorded between June 2008 and May 2009, an increase of 20% from the previous year. Reformers around the world focused on making it easier to start and operate businesses, strengthening property rights, and improving commercial dispute resolution and bankruptcy procedures. Three quarters of low- and lower-middle-income economies reformed, accounting for two-thirds of reforms recorded by the report. Among these, Rwanda is the star and the world's top reformer of business regulation, making it easier to start businesses, register property, protect investors, trade across borders, and access credit. This is the first time a Sub-Saharan African economy is the top reformer. This year, too, there were four newcomers among the global top ten reformers: Liberia, the United Arab Emirates, Tajikistan and Moldova. Aside from Rwanda, other active reformers are Egypt, Belarus, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Colombia. Regional trends: Eastern Europe and Central Asia is the fastest-reforming region for the sixth year in a row. Despite being severely affected by the global crisis, all but one of the region's 27 economies reformed business regulation over the past year. Five of the ten top global reformers are from the region. In the past two years reforms have been moving eastward from the European Union accession countries. Albania, Belarus and the Kyrgyz Republic implemented reforms in several areas for the third year in row. Kazakhstan, Montenegro and Tajikistan also continued reforms this past year. The Middle East and North Africa has had the largest surge in reforms. In all 17 of the region's 19 economies made reforms in 2008-2009. Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are leading global and regional reformers. (I.L./transl.rt)