Sindh govt drafts relief ordinance

Govt aims to help citizens struck by economic crisis by reducing school fees, utility bills and other payments

The Sindh government on Thursday drafted an ordinance to provide relief to the people of the province, hit badly by the economic crisis transpiring amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Sindh COVID-19 Emergency Relief Ordinance, 2020, will be promulgated by the provincial government, as the Sindh Assembly is not in session. Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, exercising the powers conferred under Article 128 of the Constitution, will issue the ordinance.

According to the ordinance, which will later be converted into law if approved by Ismail, no educational institution shall charge more than eighty per cent of the total monthly fees. "The relief amount, reduced equivalent to twenty per cent, under this ordinance, shall not be recovered as arrears under any circumstances," the draft adds.

The ordinance also bars business owners from removing workers from employment. "No employee or worker shall be laid off, terminated or removed and the employee shall be paid salary by the employer provided that the period of closure of an establishment may be considered by the employer as paid leave," it states.

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Another clause of the ordinance draft says that all utility providers, including water, gas and power suppliers, falling within the territorial jurisdiction of the government shall provide concessions to domestic, residential and commercial consumers, depending upon their consumption. "Between 25 to 50 per cent concessions will be given soon after this ordinance is promulgated," said a government official.

The ordinance goes on to state that landlords shall defer or suspend the recovery of rent, though this does not apply in cases where the owner of the premises is a widow, differently abled person or senior citizen.

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"No monthly rent is to be paid by the tenant where the rent does not exceed Rs50,000," says the draft, though the rent payments are postponed rather than cancelled. Moreover, where the rent exceeds Rs100,000, it is to be paid by the tenant in its entirety.

The ordinance also permits the government to provide exemptions, via notification, in provincial taxes, duties, fees, levies and charges. Furthermore, anyone contravening the law will be punishable with fines of up to Rs1 million.