By Sylvia Juuko

UGANDA has lagged behind Kenya on the pace of reforms to ease doing business, but a report notes that her effort to ease registration requirements made it easy for companies to operate in the formal sector.

Uganda was ranked 107 compared to Kenya’s 83rd position, while Tanzania trailed at 142, a study on tracking reforms done by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) shows.

However, Uganda was cited as one of the countries that undertook reforms that eased the burden of doing business in the country.

“Benin, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Uganda eased registration requirements for new companies, making it easier for them to operate in the formal sector and facilitating their access to credit, allowing them to grow,” the Doing Business 2007 : How to reform report said.

Last year, Africa lagged behind all other regions on the pace of reforms, but this year it ranks third after eastern Europe and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries.

Out of the 175 countries ranked, US is 3rd, UK 6th and Japan 11th.