BUSINESS confidence remains high, according to the latest Golden Pages business survey. It showed that 62 per cent of businesses surveyed last month reported that conditions were better than a year ago, with just 8 per cent reporting a worsening.

The six monthly survey showed that 65 per cent of firms surveyed expect business to continue to improve over the next year, with just 3 per cent expecting conditions to get worse. Of the 2,000 business surveyed, 28 per cent expect employment to increase over the next year, with just 4 per cent anticipating a decline.

Taxation is seen as the main obstacle to business. Some 38 per cent of the firms surveyed identified tax and VAT as the factor which would hinder them most over the next year. Just over half those surveyed said they expected the economy to improve over the next year.