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Business confidence drops to lowest level in Pakistan: survey

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Business confidence drops to lowest level in Pakistan: survey

Kazim Alam
November 2, 2022


KARACHI: Entrepreneurs are getting increasingly pessimistic about the conditions of their businesses owing to the country’s political and economic situation, according to a Gallup Pakistan survey conducted in the ongoing quarter of 2022.

The Gallup Business Confidence Index showed 65 per cent of business owners believe their businesses are facing bad conditions.

Industrial machines businesses are doing the best out of all types of businesses, with 75pc of them believing that conditions are good. Cloth and garment shops are experiencing the worst level of confidence, with 81pc of them saying business conditions are bad.

Findings of the survey show the Net Future Business Confidence score has worsened by 50pc since the beginning of 2022 and is now at -10pc.

Gallup survey says inflation, load shedding worrying business community


Compared to earlier this year, the number of businesses saying the country is headed in the wrong direction has gone up by 32pc. Less than 15pc of businesses in Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa believe that the country is headed in the right direction.

Similar to the findings of the survey conducted in the first quarter of 2022, the latest poll shows inflation remains the “most-cited” problem that businesses would like the government to solve by the end of this year.

As many as 72pc of the businesses surveyed reported experiencing load shedding every day. A considerable increase in the number of businesses experiencing loadshedding was witnessed in the fourth quarter. About 19pc of the businesses that reported facing load shedding within a day experienced it for two hours, the survey showed.

As many as 81pc of the businesses said they do not believe the court system is fair, impartial and uncorrupted versus 7pc in the first quarter of 2022. More businesses from Balochistan disagree with the idea that the court system is fair, impartial and uncorrupted than any other province, survey results showed.

One-quarter of the businesses surveyed reported their establishment was visited by tax officials, down 12pc from the previous survey.

A sample of more than 700 business owners and managers across Pakistan were asked how well their businesses were doing. After Covid-19 peaked, businesses started to express greater confidence. But this confidence plummeted between the beginning and the end of 2022.

“This sudden change, and a 63pc fall in the Current Business Situation score, may be due to the continuous political instability over the year,” it said.

The survey asked business owners which problems were affecting their businesses considerably. Besides inflation, “customer shortage” was a problem that 8pc of them faced. High taxes were also perceived as a problem by 4pc of businesses.

“Gallup Business Confidence Report for the fourth quarter of 2022 paints a bleak picture. The index values are the worst since Gallup started the project in 2019, which includes Covid-19 times,” said Bilal Ijaz Gilani, executive director of the Gallup Pakistan and chief architect of the Gallup Pakistan Business Confidence Index.

“The report comes after Pakistan faced the worst floods in decades. The business community awaits strong and decisive steps by the government,” he added.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2022


 
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Dar has to engineer a slowdown to combat foreign currency crisis. Any business based on imported inputs will suffer. Those that are self-sufficient without imports will continue.
 
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Dar has to engineer a slowdown to combat foreign currency crisis. Any business based on imported inputs will suffer. Those that are self-sufficient without imports will continue.
How much more should the GDP slowdown? I think it would better if he got some forex savings.
 
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How much more should the GDP slowdown? I think it would better if he got some forex savings.
Fed increased the rate for the sixth time in this year to counter inflation, Russian war still going on, U.K. in meltdown, China slowdown due to Covid lockup. I think no prize to guess that 2023 has inflation and slowdown/recession written all over it. If we want an analogy, we have to reach back Half a century to 1973.
 
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Any country where

a) Electricity goes off without notice
b) Cell phone service goes offline for 2-3 days
c) Transport and Rubbish clean up is missing
d) Police and courts are corrupt

Is not ideal environment for Business


Lack of Electricity and Cellphone costs Millions to Billions to local economy just to please Showbaz sharif


People loose clients if their email is not responded within 2-3 hours
 
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Any country where

a) Electricity goes off without notice
b) Cell phone service goes offline for 2-3 days
c) Transport and Rubbish clean up is missing
d) Police and courts are corrupt

Is not ideal environment for Business


Lack of Electricity and Cellphone costs Millions to Billions to local economy just to please Showbaz sharif


People loose clients if their email is not responded within 2-3 hours
political uncertainity also adds confusion
it doesnt look clear if PK leaning towards Rus/Chin or Ukr/US
this creates uncertainity on export markets as well - since the lucrative exports for each sphere are different
if exporting to west, you are competing with China (same products mostly)
if exporting to china the products will be opposite of china

am over simplifying here of course - but you get the point
 
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US/China angle is less important

Most important is

a) No disruption in electricity, as it disrupts IT infrastructure
b) No disruption in cell phone or phone communication as it kills Client-Business relation
c) No disruption in Sanitation / Garbage cleanup as no one opens office in middle of trash
d) Police which protects people rights
e) Courts which protects people and business rights

This ideology to shut down National TV channels
This ideology to shut down Cell phones

Has destroyed Pakistan's commerce
 
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But Maryam told us yesterday the economy is booming...while sitting in London wearing a $5000 coat.
 
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Political crap show= economic crap show= societal crap show

Last 6 years of constant meddling in politics was dangerous, honestly this meddling in politics needs to stop

Either enforce martial law or let democracy happen organically - this middle ground is causing more harm than good
 
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JUST where is the finance minister?
 
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Also inflow from overseas Pakistani drop...

1668181280586.png
 
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@ghazi52

Ghazi sb,

The remittance is sent mainly by overseas working class Pakistanis from whatever they save. Given the inflation naturally their savings and surpluses have declined and they are sending less.

Regards
 
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