Owners want normal functioning of eateries

Restaurant owners have demanded of the government to allow normal functioning of eateries in the federal capital as they were fighting for economic survival because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Islamabad Restaurant Association (IRA) has urged the government to allow normal functioning of eateries under Covid-19 SOPs to save billions of rupees invested in the industry and avert massive unemployment that will ensue if restaurants were forced to close.

IRA office-bearers have assured the authorities of full compliance of coronavirus SOPs during the indoor dining allowed by the administration.

Islamabad Restaurant Association President Khurram Khan made these observations while talking to Express Tribune about the fourth wave of Covid-19 and its impact on businesses, especially the restaurant and hotel industry. He said that restaurants in Islamabad are facing severe financial crisis since Covid-19 cases were first reported in Pakistan last year and stringent prevention measures were announced by the federal and provincial governments to overcome the pandemic.

Khan said the restaurant and hotel industry had fully implemented government instructions in true letter and spirit, and as a result had seen their business suffer. He added IRA has fully committed to supporting the government’s agenda to combat Covid-19 and has organised special vaccination camps in Islamabad to vaccinate every employee working in restaurants.

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He asserted that 100 percent of staff in IRA restaurants have been vaccinated and the district administration is checking this regularly. He added restaurants are fully complying with NCOC directives and allow only vaccinated customers for dine-in even at the cost of empty tables and lost business.

He pointed out that Prime Minister Imran Khan had stated frequently that closure of industry is no solution but the restaurants industry always face closure whenever authorities enhance efforts to tackle covid-19. He warned if this trend continues then this sector would not recover and this will slow economic growth of the country besides adding to unemployment.

According to a conservative estimate, around eight million persons are working in restaurants and hotels in Pakistan. About 1,200 large and medium-sized restaurants in Islamabad employ over 500,000 workers, while over 35 allied sectors are directly attached to this industry.

Shaista Sohail, a resident of Islamabad, also stated that dine-in facility should be available to customers who are vaccinated and where restaurants are strictly following SOPs. She questioned why people cannot dine at food courts in the same mall where they can shop and move around. It is ironic to see hundreds of families shopping in a mall but they cannot eat in the food courts; she added.

Nabeel Hussain, a restaurant worker, shared his concerns on restaurant closure saying that workers are living in a state of fear for more than a year because the authorities decide to close only restaurants while all other businesses are open. He requested government to let restaurants remain open so that thousands of workers can breathe easy.

Commenting on the restriction on dine-in, the IRA president stated that authorities should allow restaurants to continue dine-in as restaurants are only allowing people who have been vaccinated. Therefore, there is a minimum chance of Covid spreading from restaurants and dine-in facilities.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2021.