Entrepreneurs are more positive about the cabinet’s performance than they were a year ago but ministers still only scrape a narrow pass, according to the annual New Year survey carried out by employers’ organisation VNO-NCW.

This year entrepreneurs give the VVD-PvdA cabinet a score of 5.6 out of 10. Last year the cabinet scored an all-time low of 4.9. The score is based on the opinions of 343 directors, who were polled online.

The improvement in the cabinet’s rating is due to the large number of reforms put through parliament in 2014, the VNO-NCW says. Entrepreneurs are also happier about the government’s efforts to get its finances in order.

Finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem is the best rated minister, with a score of 6.9 out of 10, a 0.5 point improvement on last year. Prime minister Mark Rutte has also boosted his popularity from 5.4 to 6.3. Bottom of the ranking are justice minister Ivo Opstelten on 5.2 and home affairs minister Ronald Plasterk with a rating of 4.6.

Entrepreneurs’ main bugbear remains excessive red tape and taxation. Almost nine out of 10 company bosses are unhappy with the government’s approach to both issues.

The right-wing VVD remains the most popular party among entrepreneurs with 37% support, but still well below the 60% share recorded at the time of the last general election in 2012. The Liberal democrats (D66) are second on 21% and CDA third with 18% support.