Businesses and consumers want gov’t to tackle key issues Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

Businesses and consumers are joined in their desire for government to tackle key issues, given the impact of the pandemic, pollster Don Anderson has revealed through the latest findings of the Survey of Business and Consumer Confidence.

According to the data, the top concerns for consumers in order of priority were: reducing unemployment; focusing on the country’s health and wellbeing; opening up the economy further [to spur investments]; continuing to control the spread of COVID-19 and improving the education and school system.

“People are looking for jobs still, and it [the data] is showing that consumers believe that this is the number one factor that should be dealt with,” said Don Anderson, CEO of Market Research Services Limited.

The findings of the quarterly review by the Jamaica Conference Board Survey of Business and Consumer Confidence were presented by Anderson on behalf of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, October 25.

For businesses, getting the economy back on track; reducing unemployment; reducing governmental red tape; improving the education system and crime were the hot-button areas.

Of note for the pollster is that businesses and consumers are thinking along the same line “that obviously if we reduce unemployment then more persons will have disposable income to be able to buy to the products that are being generated by businesses.”

Pointing to the age-old concern of governmental red tape and bureaucracy, Anderson said the business community feels that government must now handle this matter frontally “once and for all.” “Businesses are saying that it is time we take a good look at the red tape and make a conscious effort to reduce it. Talk has been made time and time again about reducing government red tape … this is still on the table as the number three thing businesses feel should be done to help them move forward,” Anderson said.

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