Zambia's environment for investors to do business is worsening, a study recently released by the International Finance Corporation, a private sector arm of the World Bank, has shown.

Zambia slipped 10 positions over last year and is currently ranked 102nd out of 175 countries in the world, local newspaper The Post cited the study result as saying Wednesday.

The report, which is titled Doing Business 2007: How to Reform, indicates that Zambia did not make any positive reform in the 10 areas studied over last year.

The 10 areas that were measured include starting a business, dealing with licenses, employing workers, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and closing a business.

Among the Southern Africa Development Community countries, Zambia ranked seventh after South Africa, which is 29th overall, Mauritius, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland and Seychelles.

On each category, the worst rank for Zambia is trading across borders which it stands at 170th while the best is the ease of paying taxes on which the country is ranked 25th globally.

The report said doing business generally became easier worldwide during 2005 to 2006. It also found that Africa was reforming and ranked the regions' progress ahead of Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

The latest report is the fourth in a series of annual reports investigating the regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it.

Source: Xinhua