According to the latest LMD-Nielsen Business Confidence index (BCI) survey, 58% of respondents state that inflation is the number one corporate concern in this country.

Inflation nudged up to 5% in May from 4.5% in the prior month with the Department of Census and Statistics attributing this to a 1.2% and 0.4% increase in the price of food and non-food items respectively.

Taxes are the next in the lineup of critical issue for business in present- day Sri Lanka with approximately half (compared to 100% in May) of the survey sample expressing concern about the tax regime.

Political interference is also highlighted among the most pressing issues for business- by at least 5 in 10 of those surveyed.

The political culture is deemed to be the most pressing national issue facing Sri Lanka today by 72% (versus 49% in the previous month) of respondents.

“This comes in the midst of concerns that politics could jeopardize the nation’s recovery in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday attacks,” the survey said.

Meanwhile, 43% (compared to 54% in May) of those consulted by the pollsters consider the economy to be an issue warranting immediate national attention, followed by poverty (35%), ethnic concerns (31%) and bribery and corruption (22%).