PricewaterhouseCoopers publishes in the Listin Diario today its Consumer Confidence Index for the first three months of the year. According to a poll of 1,097 households, Dominicans in general have a negative perception of the economic situation of the country. On a scale of 0-100, where the lower numbers reflect greater pessimism, Dominicans gave an average rating of 11.5. Asked about the effects of measures taken recently by the government to improve the economic situation, 51 percent of those polled felt they would have a negative effect of the economy. Only 20 percent were optimistic that things would improve, and 29 percent felt the measures would not have any impact at all. Residents in the East of the country were the most optimistic, with 20 percent, compared to those in Santiago, who at 4 percent were the least optimistic.