Shehbaz dispensation seen worse economic manager

The Gallup Pakistan latest survey reveals a stark decline in business confidence among the country’s business owners, who now view Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government as an even worse economic manager than its predecessor. The continued political turmoil and the introduction of a tax-heavy budget have further exacerbated their pessimism about the future. The Gallup Business Confidence Index, which surveyed 454 small, medium, and large businesses across more than 30 districts in the second quarter of 2024, showed negative values for all three key indicators: the current business situation, future business situation, and the direction of the country. The scores for these indicators declined by four to 10 per cent and highlighted the deteriorating sentiment among business owners.