NEW DELHI: The World Bank has decided to discontinue its Doing Business report after reports of data irregularities were reported in its report in 2018 and 2020.
The Washington DC-based global financial institution in a statement issued on Thursday said: “After reviewing all the information available to date on Doing Business, including the findings of past reviews, audits, and the report the Bank released today on behalf of the Board of Executive Directors, World Bank Group management has taken the decision to discontinue the Doing Business report.”
After data irregularities reported in its 2018 and 2020 reports, World Bank management had paused the next Doing Business report and initiated a series of reviews and audits of the report and its methodology.
Apart from the data irregularities, the internal reports of the Bank had also raised questions on the conduct of former Board officials as well as current and/or former Bank staff in charge of the Doing Business Report. India has seen its Ease of Doing Business ranking improve significantly from 130 in 2017 to 63rd in 2020.