Traders want markets exempt from smart lockdown

ICCI chief says they cannot afford another closure of businesses

ISLAMABAD:

With the country in the grip of a second wave of the novel coronavirus, prompting the government to reimpose strict precautionary measures including closing down of entire neighbourhoods under smart lockdowns, the trading community of the federal capital has urged the authorities to exempt them.

While addressing the Traders Welfare Association of Sitara Market in G-7 Markaz, after administering oath to the newly-elected office-bearers of the association on Tuesday, the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Sardar Yasir Khan urged the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration to exempt all markets and business areas of the city from the smart lockdown.

Instead, he suggested that the administration take all possible measures to ensure the implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) to prevent the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) from spreading.

“Our economy is not in a position to afford the closure of business activities,” he said, adding that the closure of businesses will lead to more poverty and poverty will kill more people than the virus.

Yasir pointed out that the ICT administration has already sealed some sub-sectors, including Sector 1-8/3, 1-8/4, G-9/1, G-10/4 and G-6/2 to control the spread of Covid-19.

He pointed to the announcement from Prime Minister Imran Khan that business activities will not be closed due to Covid-19.

Noting that this message, given that it came from the prime minister, was quite encouraging, the ICCI president stressed that the ICT Administration should honour the PM’s announcement. He said this while

Yasir promised the association that the ICCI will strongly lobby for the passage of the rent control act from the Senate. In this regard, he said that a committee will be formed consisting of important trade leaders who will advocate and lobby Senators for the early passage of the bill.

On resolving civic issues of the business community, Yasir said that they have developed a strong liaison with the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to resolve the key issues of the business community and assured the association that they will soon see many development works commence in their markets, including carpeting of roads, repair of footpaths, restoration of streetlights etc. He also assured the association of the chamber’s full in resolving key issues of their market.

Ajmal Baloch, the president of the All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tijaran, said that the promulgation of a balanced rent control act in the federal capital has been a longstanding demand of traders.

He added that the National Assembly has already passed the Rent Restrictions (Amendment) Bill 2020, and stressed that the Senate should also pass it without further delays. Altaf Shah, the elected president of the Traders’ Welfare Association and other elected office bearers urged CDA to complete the construction of the food street and flower market in Sitara Market.

Further, they said that there is a dire need to build interlinking roads in the market to facilitate customers. Earlier, Shah took oath as the president of the association. Khateeb Abbasi took oath as the senior vice president, Raja Imran and Adeel Chaudhry as vice presidents, Rana Akram as secretary-general, Jamil Yaqoob as joint secretary, Muhammad Owas as coordination secretary, Rahim Khan as information secretary and Ahmed Chaudhry as finance secretary.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th, 2020.