November 9, 2002	Saturday	Ramazan 3,1423

GENEVA, Nov 8: Big business ranks as the least-trusted institution in the world alongside national parliaments, according to an international public opinion poll released by the World Economic Forum on Friday.

About 52 per cent of the 36,000 people questioned in 47 countries said they had little or no trust in large national companies, while 48 per cent distrusted multinational firms, the poll found.

WEF noted a “significant” drop in trust in corporations in North America and Europe since the scandal about misleading accounts at US energy group broke.

Fifty-one per cent of those polled distrusted their parliaments, but elected officials had greater credibility in Europe, North America and parts of Asia.

The survey measured levels of trust in the ability of each institution to act in the best interest of society.

It revealed that people have as much faith in trade unions and the media as in their governments, with about 47 to 50 per cent of those polled saying they had some or a lot of trust in those institutions.—AFP