For Whom the Bell Tolls

Last week I partied on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Yes, really.

The occasion was the second annual Reformers' Club: an event organized by the Doing Business team to celebrate the most successful reformers of the past year. This year's recipients were: H.E. Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, Minister of Investment, Egypt; H.E. Ivan Šuker, Minister of Finance, Croatia; H.E. Nikola Gruevski, Prime Minister, FYR Macedonia; H.E. Ekaterina A. Sharashidze, Minister of Economic Development, Georgia; H.E. Luis Guillermo Plata, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Colombia; H.E. Dr. Awwad S. Al-Awwad, Deputy Governor, Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority; and H.E. Plamen Oresharski, Minister of Finance, Bulgaria.

There was an additional reason to celebrate. Mr Gruevski's party had just won parliamentary elections in FYR Macedonia, with a mandate of further reforms. Two weeks earlier, so had the party of Minister Sharashidze. Again, the main platform was further reforms to create more jobs and pull more Georgians out of poverty.

The top reformers shared their experience with reform, gave details on what reforms are coming next, and what the effect of reforms has so far been. They also rang the bell of the stock exchange.

This bell will hopefully be heard by other governments that would like to make it easier for businesses to operate in their country and for more jobs to be created. Undoubtedly, it will give further resolve to the award recipients. Minister Mohieldin is a repeat recipient; so is Georgia's government. Is a three-peat coming?