Traders happy with economy but push raps vs Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

A majority of the members of the Makati Business Club (MBC) polled in a survey has expressed satisfaction over the way the business environment and the economy had shaped up in the first year of the Aquino administration and want the government to ramp up anticorruption efforts, starting with the filing of charges against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The group’s Executive Outlook Survey conducted from July 19 to Aug. 2 found that 64 percent of those polled felt the business environment had improved over the past 12 months, but 32.4 percent said there was no improvement at all.

Of the 719 MBC members, 74 participated in the survey, for a 10.3-percent response rate.

Asked about their outlook on the economy, 76 percent said they expected the economy to perform better in the next 12 months, while 20 percent said they did not foresee any positive changes.

Majority of the respondents were also satisfied with the government’s anticorruption efforts, with 53 percent saying they believed corruption in government had been reduced over the past year. Still, 38 percent said corruption in government was at the same level it was during the past administration.

Eighty percent said graft and corruption charges should be pressed against now Pampanga Representative Arroyo. Only eight percent said charges should not be pursued.

Asked to rate 45 government offices and agencies, the MBC members gave the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas the highest net satisfaction rating at 77 percent, with 85.1 percent expressing satisfaction and 8.1 percent dissatisfaction.

Also in the top five were the Department of Finance with a net satisfaction rating of 67.6 percent, Department of Trade and Industry with 59.5 percent, Department of Foreign Affairs with 52.7 percent and Department of Health with 50 percent.

Garnering the lowest net satisfaction score was the Traffic Management Group with -64.9 percent. Others on the bottom rungs were the Office of the Ombudsman with a net satisfaction rating of -51.4 percent, Sandiganbayan with -44.6 percent, the Court of Appeals and lower courts with -41.9 percent and Philippine National Police with -35.1 percent.