While only 32% of U.S. executives believe the stimulus plan has had any effect on the economy so far, 49% believe it will kick in during 2010,
However, 71% believe the size of the plan should have been smaller, and 50% said it should have infused money into the system more quickly.
Executives were unsure whether the fraud prevention provisions of the plan will boost the economy, but they were generally supportive of the intent of those provisions, with 63% believing they will make financial services more competitive and 58% in favor of the expansion of federal whistleblower protections.
“Through the Economic Stimulus Program, the government has had and will have a more influential role in our economy than in recent decades, and it has made detecting and preventing fraud and abuse a priority,” said David Williams, leader of the financial advisor services practice at Deloitte. “While it’s too soon to tell what the exact impact of stimulus program requirements related to fiscal transparency and fraud prevention will be on the broader economy, we’re seeing more companies focusing on tightening their fraud controls.”
