IMF briefed on probe into China’s ‘Doing Business’ report rankings at World Bank
- The World Bank cancelled the ‘Doing Business’ report partly due to an investigation by law firm WilmerHale
- It found that Kristalina Georgieva, then the chief executive of the World Bank, and other senior staff had pressured economists to improve China’s 2018 ranking
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Monday its board of directors has been briefed by lawyers from the law firm whose investigation found that current managing director Kristalina Georgieva and other officials pressured World Bank employees to alter data affecting the business rankings of China and other nations.
The Doing Business report evaluated a country’s tax burdens, bureaucratic obstacles, regulatory system and other business conditions, and its rankings was used by some governments to try to attract investment.
The IMF said in a statement that the board would soon meet with Georgieva as part of its review of the matter.
The statement said the IMF’s board “remains committed to a thorough, objective and timely review” of the issues raised by the report.