Business kudos.

THE government is in a celebratory mood. And why not? After all, Pakistan has gained 28 places to rise to the rank of 108 on the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index 2020 in addition to securing a slot among the top 10 nations with the most improved business climate. The improvement in the EODBI ranking is the biggest upward jump in the country's history and a major achievement which led the prime minister to take to Twitter to declare 'another of our manifesto commitments fulfilled'. The bank said the 'rise is significant and made possible by collective and coordinated actions of federal government and provincial governments of Punjab and Sindh over the past year'. The country has been rewarded for improving business regulations.

The regulatory reforms implemented under the accelerated reform agenda have made starting a business easier, simplified the approval process for obtaining a construction permit and ensured regular building quality inspections. They have also introduced online payment modules for value-added taxes and corporate income taxes, besides reducing the number of taxes and levies from 47 to 34. It is also easier and faster now to get an electricity connection and register property, and so on. The 'ease of doing business' reforms are expected to facilitate small and medium enterprises, and the higher EODBI ranking is likely to help improve the country's image.

However, while the reforms look great on paper and the government has been praised by global lenders, there are still areas of concern, such as the enforcement of...