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The latest poll conducted by TNS Lanka and featured in the November issue of LMD finds that a majority feel that the Colombo bourse isn’t sufficiently broad based. Chief among their grouses, LMD reports, is that stock-market operations are not spread across the island and that many Sri Lankans are unaware of its activities.

TNS Lanka’s sample population is also of the opinion that the market is confined to certain sections of society – and interestingly, that it operates only for the benefit of the rich.

LMD’s latest edition, which will be out by the end of the week, says that with inflation reaching astronomical levels and the cost of living soaring beyond the reach of the majority of people, it appears that most Sri Lankans could do with one thing – more money. So, can the stock market be the answer to our prayers? the journal asks.

Seemingly oblivious to the negative economic and political developments around it, the CSE has, until earlier this year been amongst the best performing in the region – but how has this benefited the man on the street?

Despite the moneymaking potential of the stock market, most people appear to be unaware of its operations, notes LMD – a massive two-thirds of those surveyed admit they unaware if it is subject to satisfactory regulations, with the remainder being equally divided over the issue.

Similarly, almost half the respondents to the survey profess not to know whether the stock market provides reasonable returns on investments, although 30 per cent say that it does – they believe that it provides higher profits than other investments.

With regard to the crucial issue of what steps the exchange should take to educate the public about capital markets, some than six in ten agree that more awareness campaigns should be conducted. Appointing a team to handle public queries and disseminating more information about the bourse via the media were among the other suggestions made by respondents to the LMD-TNS Lanka poll.