BURNING ISSUES
TAXES WEIGH ON BUSINESSES
High taxes lead business concerns as the cost of living tops the national agenda
The high tax regime tops the list of business concerns for the second consecutive month. In October, high taxes remained the most pressing issue facing corporates, despite the rumour mill buzzing with talk of tax relief and reforms in the 2027 budget.
Nearly half of the surveyed executives (47%) cite taxes as a concern – an increase of two percentage points from September (45%).
In the latest LMD-PEPPERCUBE Business Confidence Index (BCI) survey, inflation holds second place with 40 percent of executives identifying it as a major concern. This represents a one point decline from the previous month (41%).
Interest rates move into the top three with nearly one in three respondents (32%) expressing concern – up six percentage points from September’s 26 percent.
Meanwhile, high utility bills ranks fourth and is cited by 22 percent of respondents, and workforce standards rounds out the top five with around one in seven executives (14%) highlighting it as an issue.
On a national scale, the cost of living surpasses the economy as the main concern cited by more than three in four respondents (77%) – a sharp increase of 17 percent from September.
In the meantime, the economy slips to second place with 60 percent of poll participants saying so. This reflects an 11 point decline from just over seven in 10 (71%) in the month prior.
The remaining three concerns retain their positions from September. Climate change holds third place with nearly three in 10 (29%) respondents saying it’s a concern – unchanged from the preceding month.
And the political culture follows in fourth place with 16 percent of the sample population saying so while the education system rounds out the top five (cited by 12%).
– LMD
In October, high taxes remained the most pressing issue facing corporates
