Moldovans’ optimism about personal financial situation has decreased

Moldovans’ optimism about their financial situation appears to be sliding back, shows a survey conducted by the Institute for Development and Social Initiative (IDIS) Viitorul, and published Tuesday, July 17. The survey “Consumer Confidence Index”, conducted in the period from April to May 2007, reveals that compared with December 2006, all the efforts made by the government in the first quarter of the year apparently didn’t make people overcome the phase of uncertainty. Expert Veaceslav Ionita calls it a paradox that Moldovans fail to draw a direct connection between the state of affairs in the country and the environment in their households. In his words, people believe on the one hand that things in the country develop in the wrong direction and there is not much to expect, but on the other hand consider that, even though things in the family are not going very well, they will certainly improve in the future. At the same time, it has been noticed an increase in positive estimations of well-being by the elderly, explained by periodical raises of pensions. Increasingly optimistic are the people with incomes below 1,000 lei. Experts explain that even an insignificant increase in income creates positive perceptions for this category, while the slightest price increase shakes their confidence in the future. On the other hand, the confidence index dropped among people with average and fairly high incomes. A rather alarming situation, according to the survey, relates to employment. The high expectations of Moldovans were dissipated by restrictions placed on free access to Europe via Romania, as well as by the bans imposed by Russia on foreigners. The nationwide survey has been conducted by IDIS Viitorul in cooperation with CBS-Axa on a sample of about 1,300, with the financial support of the Eurasia Foundation.