Issue link: http://endeavor.uberflip.com/i/317370
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK & INFRASTRUCTURE A country's regulatory framework significantly impacts the way businesses operate. Endeavor Lebanon's survey results reveal that overall entrepreneurs do not think that Lebanon's policies encourage entrepreneurship. Legislation is often outdated, miscommunicated and lacks transparency, making it difficult for entrepreneurs to take advantage of it. The main concerns that have been repeatedly voiced to Endeavor Lebanon by entrepreneurs and experts include: • Difficulty importing foreign talent • High labor taxes and social contributions • Inability to set up a system of preferred shares • Inadequate bankruptcy laws and the country's lack of readiness for e-commerce (difficulty of online payments, absent legislation) Entrepreneurs also mention costly, bureaucratic and timely procedures when trading across borders. For example, regional e-commerce is inhibited as any returned item is subject to import duty, as if it was new, subjecting it to double taxation. More than of the entrepreneurs surveyed by Endeavor Lebanon deem access to water, electricity, telecom and transport to be poorly available or not available in the country. Deficiencies in infrastructure lead to unnecessary stress for entrepreneurs and severely impact their businesses in terms of inefficiency, longer delays and higher operating costs, among others. REGULATORY FRAMEWORK INFRASTRUCTURE of entrepreneurs deem business friendly policies to be poor or not available in Lebanon. of entrepreneurs believe it is not easy to trade across borders when based in Lebanon. 50% 68% 57% ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN LEBANON: PERCEPTIONS AND REALITIES 23