The number of surveyed firms in Ho Chi Minh City expressing optimism about business performance in the fourth quarter of this year has surged to 49.4 percent, the General Statistics Office (GSO) has reported.

 

In a survey conducted by the GSO, 50.6 percent of the enterprises in the city said they anticipated more difficulties in the last quarter of the year.

 

Meanwhile, 73.7 percent of respondents nationwide were optimistic about their business performance in the fourth quarter. Those predicting more difficulties ahead dropped to 26.3 percent.

 

Due to complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic across the country, especially in 19 southern cities and provinces, only 38.6 percent of the surveyed enterprises said they performed better in the third quarter than the previous three months. The remainders said they still met difficulties in production and business.

 

In Ho Chi Minh City alone, only 9.7 percent said their operations in the third quarter were more stable compared to the second quarter. Meanwhile, up to 90.3 percent said they had to struggle with a range of difficulties./.

 

VNA