Economic situation inquiry: 75 Percent of businesses expects to make profit

October 02, 2008 6:10 AM

From the results of the 9th economic situation inquiry conducted in June by the Central Bureau for Statistics in Curacao, Bonaire, and St. Maarten, it appears that more than 75 percent of the businesses (76 percent) expects to make profit in 2008.

This is the highest percentage since the introduction of the economic situation inquiry in 2004, when the percentage was 59. The annual inquiry 2008 that starts soon in Bonaire, St. Maarten, and Curacao will have to reveal whether the businesses meet their expectations or not. The entrepreneurs’ confidence in the economy in Curacao has slightly dropped though. More entrepreneurs (17 percent instead of 10) say that they have lost some confidence; the ones that say that their confidence has remained the same, increased slightly from 56 to 59 percent; and a lower percentage, 25 percent, indicated that the confidence in the economy has improved (was 34 percent).

The confidence in the future has also dropped from 73 to 68 percent, but is still relatively high. The percentage of businesses that has no confidence in the future increased a little from 8 to 11.

About the same amount of businesses (39 percent) as in December of 2007 (40 percent) has indicated that the investment climate is good; 50 percent of the businesses indicated that the investment climate is moderate: (was 52); and only 14 percent of the businesses in Curacao have indicated one or more investment impediments, the lowest percentage since the start of the inquiry.
According to former inquiries, the financial means deficit is still the most important impediment, but to a lower extent now (from 50 to 21 percent of the number of businesses that indicated one or more investment impediment).

The inquiry was conducted among all businesses with 10 or more employees, and randomly among those with less than 10 employees.

(Source: National Newspaper Amigoe)

30 September, 2008