Business Sentiment – Index Shores Up Despite Turmoil
December, 5, 2018The prospect of change amid the political uncertainty boosts business confidence
The seismic shift in power – or attempt to establish such a changeover – on the political platform with a new administration being sworn in, even as the incumbent steadfastly refused to cede what it claimed was its rightful position in parliament, has certainly had a ripple effect on multiple fronts.While some stopped at describing the goings on as a constitutional crisis, others charged that what transpired was in fact a constitutional coup albeit sans the use of weapons or widespread bloodshed.
It may come as a surprise therefore, that amid the constitutional impasse and ugly political wrangling at the time, business confidence has been restored in no uncertain terms – although importantly, it should be noted that the latest LMD-Nielsen Business Confidence Index (BCI) survey was conducted during the first week of November, which was in the immediate aftermath of the president’s sudden appointment of a new prime minister on 26 October but before the dissolution of parliament on 9 November and what has transpired since then.