Chairman Businessmen Group & Former President KCCI Zubair Motiwala and President Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) Shariq Vohra have appealed the Sindh Government to relook the decision to shut down all types of commercial/ business activities for two consecutive days a week which was tantamount to mass killing of the already perturbed small traders and shopkeepers who are in deep crises and struggling really hard to somehow keep their businesses afloat.
In letters sent to Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, Minster for Local Government Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Ali Shah and Commissioner Karachi Navid Ahmed Shaikh, Chairman BMG & President KCCI pointed out that the Karachi Chamber was well aware of the fact that the third spell of coronavirus pandemic was more dangerous and they have been constantly supporting government’s initiatives from time to time. “We highly appreciate all the efforts being made by Sindh government to prevent further spread of coronavirus pandemic but the decision to completely shut down businesses for two consecutive days is not a good idea”, they said.
Zubair Motiwala and Shariq Vohra stated that around eight to ten days ahead of Ramazan ul Mubarak and also the last fifteen to twenty days of the holy month are very important for businesses as this was the peak season so if the businesses are disallowed to carry out their activities during these days, it will prove to be disastrous for them throughout next year.
They underscored that the government has to come up with some other feasible solution which could save everyone from the pandemic and also ensure zero damage to the poor shopkeepers and small traders who cannot afford any further shocks. “In this regard, the business and industrial community is ready to fully comply with all the SOPs including use of masks, gloves and sanitizers etc. other than closing down the shops, besides ensuring adequate social distancing at the markets.”
They cautioned that the closure of businesses for two consecutive days would result in bankrupting many businesses, trigger massive unemployment and chaos, besides creating a situation in which the people would die themselves due to poverty, unemployment, mental stress, hunger or starvation instead of dying from the diseases caused by coronavirus.