SCCI asks govt to lift lockdown from KP

PESHAWAR: The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) on Friday asked the government to end lockdown and allow businesses to remain open seven days a week.

The demand was made during a conference held through a video link here with SCCI president Engineer Maqsood Anwar Pervaiz in the chair. SCCI senior vice president, Shahid Hussain, vice president Abdul Jalil Jan, former president FPCCI Ghazanfar Bilour, former chamber presidents, Riaz Arshad, Adeel Rauf, former chairman All Pakistan Commercial Exporters Association, Engr Manzoor Elahi, Industrialists Association Hayatabad Peshawar president Zarak Khan, SCCI executive body members, Mujeebur Rehman, Ghulam Bilal Javed and others attended the meeting. The participants asked the government to release payment of refunds on head of income tax to business community without any further delay.

They urged government to formulate business friendly policies by consulting the business community and other stakeholders. The meeting demanded 24/7 opening of Pak-Afghan border and removal of hurdles in way of bilateral and transit trade between the two neighbouring countries. The participants announced that if the government didn’t heed the demands of the business community they would announce future course of action during a press conference on June 2. The speakers said the country’s economy and businesses had been crippled by lockdown.

They viewed the business community had fully extended cooperation to the government, police and law enforcement agencies during the prolonged lockdown, and they were ready to support the government initiatives to contain spread of the novel coronavirus. However, they said government should ease policies and restore coronavirus-hit businesses and allow opening of business hubs, market, malls and shops seven day a week.

Maqsood Pervaiz said the business community was facing severe financial owes due to prolonged lockdown it would cause unemployment if the lockdown was re-imposed in the province. The SCCI chief said asked the government to end lockdown and allow businesses to remain open seven days a week across the province.