59% traders say country not moving in right direction: Gallup Pakistan

• Ratio of those predicting improvement in future business has dropped from 70% to 61%.
• Ratio of those dissatisfied with situation has increased from 29% to 39%.
• In last quarterly report, ratio of traders who considered country was moving in right direction was 63%.

ISLAMABAD: The ratio of traders happy with economic activities is increasing in Pakistan as 54% traders have expressed their satisfaction with the business activities in the country compared to 49% in the second quarter of 2021, said Gallup Pakistan.

The Gallup Pakistan released the fourth quarterly report of Business Confidence Index (BCI), the survey of which was conducted from nearly 580 respondents, belonging to the country’s traders’ community, from October 13-28.

The report, however, said that the traders have expressed deep anxiety over future of business in the country.

The report revealed that in Gallup Pakistan’s second quarterly report in July, 49% traders were happy with business activity but now 54% traders expressed their satisfaction over the trade activities in Pakistan.

Similarly, the ratio of those dissatisfied with business activity in Pakistan has also decreased from 52% to 46%. However, the ratio of those predicting improvement in future business has also dropped from 70% to 61%, while the ratio of those dissatisfied with the situation has also increased from 29% to 39%. Moreover, the ratio of traders who consider the country is not moving in the right direction has increased from 37% to 59%.

In the last quarterly report, the ratio of traders who considered the country was moving in the right direction was 63%, which has now dropped to 41%. While the ratio of those who consider the country is moving in the wrong direction has increased from 37% to 59%.

Gallup Pakistan asked the respondents which issues they want the government to address instantly. Some 48% respondents declared inflation as the biggest problem for business, while 16% sought relief for business class, 14% for the stability of the Pakistani currency, 13% for consistency in government policies, six percent for controlling corruption, six percent for elimination of Covid-19 and ending lockdowns, three percent for ending political instability, three percent for improving export policies and two percent for non-availability of PayPal.

In the survey, 17% respondents mentioned other problems and sought the government’s help to resolve them, while seven percent respondents said they had no issue to get resolved by the government.