Islamabad: According to Gallup Pakistan’s Business Confidence Index, the confidence of the business community in Pakistan is at its highest level since 2021; however, inflation, expensive utility bills, and taxes are still major issues.
The survey revealed that 28 percent of the participants named inflation, 18 percent high energy costs, and 11 percent taxes as the most important issues. Despite this, 61 percent of businesses rated their operations positively, and 47 percent confirmed that load shedding is less than in previous years.
Bribery has also improved—only 15 percent of respondents admitted to paying bribes this year, compared to 34 percent last year.
According to Gallup, the survey covered 20 percent of traders, 13 percent of the service sector, and 12 percent of manufacturing establishments. The report said that there is a trend of stability among business stakeholders, but the pace of improvement is slow.
