Pollster Don Anderson - file photo
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Don Anderson
The latest RJRGleaner Group Don Anderson poll has found that 55 per cent of Jamaicans believe the country is going in the wrong economic direction.
It found that another 34 per cent believes the country is going in the right direction, while eleven per cent were unsure.
The poll in relation to the performance of the Jamaican economy and the economic outlook was conducted from February 22 to 26 using a sample of 1,074 people islandwide.
It has a margin of error of plus or minus three per cent.
Pollster Don Anderson, commenting on the numbers, noted that they "are not unusual".
"Whenever we ask this question, we find the majority of persons tend to say the country is going in the wrong direction. Therefore, what we take from this is the extent to which people say the country is going in the wrong direction," he said, pointing out that a 55 per cent majority is lower than is generally seen in other countries.
The poll also sought views on whether the country is moving forward with the passing of each IMF test.
"More persons disagreed. Thirty-seven per cent said 'yes' they felt that the country was moving forward with the passing of each IMF test. But against that, 46 per cent felt 'no' the country was not moving forward with the passing of each IMF test. Seventeen per cent just didn't know, were not sure," he outlined.
Meanwhile, the poll has found a 41 percentage points tie on whether or not respondents think the reduction in the country's debt has resulted in positive economic benefits.
"The persons we interviewed were ambivalent on the issue with 41 per cent saying 'yes' the reduction in the country's debt has resulted in positive economic benefits, but an equal number, 41 per cent, said 'no'.... Eighteen per cent simply didn't know," Mr. Anderson revealed.
The survey also found that 43 per cent of respondents do not think the country will achieve the five-in-four economic growth target. According to Mr. Anderson, just 28 per cent of the people interviewed, or less than one in every three persons, agreed that the country will achieve the five-in-four economic target. Another 29 per cent were "not sure or simply did not know."
The final question in the series on the economy looked at the personal situation.
Fifty-nine per cent of those polled felt their personal economic situation has not improved in the last two years.
"Thirty-seven per cent said 'yes' it has, but the whopping 59 per cent, the large majority of persons interviewed, said 'no' their personal economic situation has not improved in the last two years. Four per cent (were) unsure," the pollster highlighted.
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