Businesses take dim view of councils

SMALL and medium-sized businesses view local councils as the least-transparent institution they deal with, according to a new survey by AXA.

National government is also poorly-rated when it comes to legislating for smaller businesses. According to the survey only 59 per cent of directors rated councils as “transparent”, said AXA.

This ranks well below energy providers (65 per cent) and banks (73 per cent) — two sectors that have suffered significant damage to their reputation concerning the clarity of their business dealings.