Czech Republic: Completing the Transformation of Banks and Enterprises (World Bank Country Study)

The Czech Republic arrived at the end of the 1990s with an unfinished transformation agenda. Especially apparent were the lingering problems in the major banks and large segments of the corporate sector which led to an unsatisfactory economic performance. The root cause for the poor performance stems from the weak internal and external mechanisms of corporate governance. While the Czech government has made efforts to improve the situation, there are still elements of the restructuring agenda that remain largely absent.This report aims to assist the Czech authorities in their ongoing efforts to improve the overall institutional and legal framework for the restructuring of distressed enterprises and for new lending as well. It examines the present status, reviews the progress made, and provides recommendations for improvement.