Did Kristalina Georgieva pressure staff to alter the Doing Business report?

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Kristalina Georgieva Pressed Staff to Alter World Bank's Doing Business Report

Kristalina Georgieva, the current head of the IMF and former senior role at the World Bank, did pressure staff to alter the bank's flagship Doing Business report. An independent investigation commissioned by the World Bank board found irregularities in the 2018 and 2020 editions of the report, concluding that Georgieva pressed staff for changes to avoid angering China. These findings led to the World Bank's immediate discontinuation of the Doing Business report.
Investigation Findings on Georgieva's Actions

An independent investigation, conducted by the law firm WilmerHale, cited a "toxic environment" for staff and detailed specific instances of pressure. The investigation concluded that Georgieva, in her previous role at the World Bank, exerted pressure on staff to modify the data and rankings within the Doing Business report. This pressure was reportedly aimed at influencing the report's findings, particularly concerning China.
Alterations to Avoid Angering China

The core of the investigation's findings was that Georgieva pressed staff for alterations to the Doing Business report to avoid negative repercussions from China. This suggests a deliberate effort to manipulate the report's integrity for geopolitical or economic considerations, impacting the perceived business-friendliness of various nations. The report's discontinuation followed these revelations.
Paul Romer's Allegations of a "Whitewash"

Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Romer, who previously served as the World Bank's chief economist, alleged that Georgieva engineered a "whitewash" of his concerns regarding the report's methodology. Romer resigned in January 2018 after publicly raising concerns about "arbitrary" alterations to the report's methodology that significantly affected country rankings, citing Chile as a specific example. He stated that he was reporting to individuals who "lacked integrity."
Discontinuation of the Doing Business Report

Following the independent investigation's findings and Romer's allegations, the World Bank announced the immediate discontinuation of its Doing Business report. This decision underscores the severity of the irregularities discovered, which included pressure from senior leadership, including Georgieva, Simeon Djankov, and then-president Jim Kim, to alter the report's data and favor certain countries. The report had been a significant indicator of a country's regulatory environment for businesses.

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Did Kristalina Georgieva pressure staff to alter the Doing Business report?

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