Traders urge PTI govt to defer utility bills

ISLAMABAD: With the government announcing an Rs1.2 trillion aid package, including deferred payments of utility bills for domestic consumers, traders in the federal capital have urged the federal government to consider deferring the collection of utility bills from the business community for a few months to save businesses hit by the lockdown due to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19), from default.

In a statement on Thursday, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Ahmed Waheed said that due to the pandemic, business activities in the city have almost ground to a halt and now businesses were facing the threat of permanently closing down.

Manufacturing activities have shut down, while goods which were produced are awaiting buyers and there were no good prospects on the horizon, he said, adding that in these circumstances, it had become difficult for businesses to meet their day-to-day expenses and pay the idle labour.

With businesses struggling for survival in the prevailing conditions, the government should allow them to pay monthly utility bills in three instalments after the expiry of the deferment period, the ICCI chief said.

Deferring collection of utility bills from businesses for a few months will provide them with some relief, as Waheed complained that energy costs in Pakistan were quite high which pushed up the cost of doing business manifold.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2020.