SMEs unhappy at government policy

SMEs have become more dissatisfied with the Government since the turn of the year, with many citing the abandonment of annual lending targets for the pillar banks and a perceived failure to address rising business costs as the main reasons.

The latest quarterly SME/Government Satisfaction survey from small firms lobbyist, Isme, shows that despite support for how the Government has been tackling the jobs issue, confidence amongst firms surrounding banking and costs issues is more shaky.

Overall, the index showed a reading of -32 for the first three months of this year; up from -30 for the last three months of 2013.