Durban – The latest Business Confidence Index (BCI) produced by the Macroeconomics Research Unit of the University of KwaZulu-Natal has revealed that service delivery perceptions in Durban (eThekwini municipality) worsened in the second quarter of 2023.
It said this is partly explaining the decline in business confidence during the same quarter of 2023.
Among the surveyed businesspersons, 84.6% of them stated that if they (or anyone else) reported a ‘poor service delivery’ complaint, it is very unlikely that the authorities (of the ANC-run municipality) would attend to it.
This represents a 6.6 percentage points increase in the proportion of surveyed participants that hold this view.
NEWS: The latest Business Confidence Index of UKZN has revealed that service delivery perceptions in Durban worsened in the second quarter of 2023. Among the surveyed businesspersons, 84.6% stated that if they reported a ‘poor service delivery’ complaint to eThekwini municipality
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) July 15, 2023
“On the list of the poorest services provided by the government, the environment (sewerage, solid waste and parks) is at the top (30.8%) followed by electricity (23.1%), roads (21.2%) and public safety (police, fire, and ambulance) (21.2%),” the report says.
The results of the survey were released on Friday.
The survey also noted that recently police recorded crime statistics reveal that public safety is deteriorating in the entire KwaZulu-Natal.
According to the South African Police Service, in the first quarter of 2023, community-reported serious crimes increased by 17.1% in Durban and 5.1% in KwaZulu-Natal Province.
In the same survey, it was noted that during the second quarter of 2023, business confidence in Durban declined to 37.28% from 43.27% in the previous quarter.
This is the second consecutive decline of the index following another dip in business confidence in the municipality from 44.04% in the fourth quarter of 2022 to 43.27% in the first quarter of 2023.
THE tariffs boycott movement against the eThekwini Municipality is gaining momentum, with some residents of Durban North being the latest to join.https://t.co/AWvstslaWH
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) July 14, 2023
“For instance, business confidence in the financial sector has been steadily declining, dropping from 37.73% in the first quarter of 2023 to 35.22% in the second quarter of the year,” the survey said.
This decline can be attributed to the challenging economic and financial conditions prevailing in both domestic and global economies.
“Central banks worldwide, including the South African Reserve Bank, have been implementing tight monetary policies in an attempt to mitigate the escalating cost of living.
“Community, social and personal services is another sector experiencing a substantial decrease in business confidence.
“The sector has witnessed consecutive quarterly declines in business confidence from 46.51% in the first quarter of 2023 to 39.96% in the second quarter,” read part of the findings of the survey.
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