Washington, Sep 9 (DPA) The global economic crisis has encouraged a rash of government reforms that should make it easier to start, run and close businesses around the world, according to a World Bank report released Tuesday night.

The annual 'Doing Business' survey recorded more regulatory business reforms in more countries than any time since the report began in 2004. In total, 287 reforms were adopted in 131 countries from June 2008 to May 2009.

With governments desperate to spur new jobs around the world, 'it really makes sense to have a lot of these reforms happening now', Sylvia Solf, programme manager for the report, told DPA.

'It wasn't quite a normal year for businesses and governments around the world,' Solf said.

The first global recession since World War II has pushed businesses across many sectors into bankruptcy as consumer demand and global trade have dried up.

Developing countries have led the reform effort, and the focus has so far been on relatively simple administrative reforms, such as reducing red-tape for small and mid-sized businesses - the engines of most economies around the world.

That should be just the start. Most countries are still battling to emerge from recession and have yet to adopt significant reforms to help businesses better survive the next downturn.