KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 — Chinese business owners appear more optimistic about this year’s prospects, buoyed by the reopening of nearly all economic sectors, a high vaccination rate and an improved consumer spending appetite, the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia said in a statement today.
Less than a fifth of respondents anticipated the outlook to worsen compared to 24.2 per cent surveyed previously. The bi-annual survey, which was carried out throughout the period of October 25 to end- December 2021, received 807 active responses.From the total, 41.3 per cent of respondents saw a “better” business outlook in 2022, with 33.8 per cent expecting business conditions to improve in the first half of 2022 compared to 21 per cent in the second half of last year.
Meanwhile, more than one-third of respondents expressed high concern about cost, credit and cash flow, although the percentage of businesses reporting improved liquidity and credit management rose to 32 per cent compared to 21.4 per cent in the previous survey.