Economic sentiment rallies – Survey

Tuesday, 16 June 2020 01:06 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sentiment surrounding the economy picked up slightly in May with 36% of respondents to the latest LMD-Nielsen Business Confidence Index (BCI) survey saying it will improve in the next 12 months (versus 33% in April).

In addition, the share of businesspeople expecting economic conditions to worsen during this period has declined to 41% (from 62% in the previous month).

As for the outlook for business, nearly six in 10 of corporate executives consulted by Nielsen expect their sales volumes to increase in the coming 12 months while almost a third anticipate an improvement in the next three months.

In contrast, poll participants feel that the investment climate has deteriorated with a mere 9% of businesspeople considering this a good time to invest in the country while a majority (69%) perceive conditions as ‘poor’ or worse. Furthermore, 22% of executives polled describe conditions as ‘fair.’

Media Services, which publishes LMD, says the June edition of the magazine has been released. Its digital edition is also available on WhatsApp and the publisher’s social media platforms.

LMD’s Cover Story features an exclusive interview with the Chairperson and Managing Director of Unilever Sri Lanka Hajar Alafifi Laadel, in which she discusses her vision for business particularly within the context of the FMCG sector, taking stock of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic fallout (for the full story, log onto www.LMD.lk).