Xarabank survey shows 40% affected negatively by Budget

A large majority of respondents questioned in a Xarabank survey said the Budget measures would affect them negatively. A relative majority, however, said they would vote PN if an election was held now, although there was a large percentage of undecided respondents.

Malta Polls, which carried out the survey on behalf of the TV programme, said that 40.3 per cent of respondents felt the Budget affected them negatively, another 10.8 per cent said the effect was very negative and 39.8 per cent said the Budget affected them neither positively nor negatively. Those who said Budget 2004 affected them positively were 8.2 per cent, while only 0.9 per cent said that the Budget affected them very positively.

The negative effect of the Budget was consistent in practically all age groups. The respondents were asked how Budget 2004 affected them.

Asked how they would vote if a general election was held tomorrow, the majority (42.1 per cent) said they were undecided; 21.1 per cent said they would vote for the PN; followed closely by 19.7 per cent who said they would vote MLP; 15.6 per cent said they would not vote; and 1.6 per cent said they would vote for AD.

The survey was carried out in the two days following the Budget speech by phone interviews.

When the results were being read out during the programme on Friday, Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami, who was present, said he too would be negatively affected by the Budget, but one had to consider the national needs.