Covid-19 fallout: Industrialists seek interest-free loans, deferment of power, gas bills

PESHAWAR: Small factory owners and manufacturers in a unanimous resolution on Wednesday demanded interest-free loans on easy conditions, deferment of electricity and gas bills for next three months, besides devising procedure for the registration of factory workers and daily wagers with provincial Labour department.

A meeting held with Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Engineer Maqsood Anwar Pervaiz in the chair endorsed the demands of the All Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Small Industrial Estates Association.

Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry former vice president Muhammad Iftikhar Ahmad, Small Industrial Estate Kohat Road Peshawar President Wahid Arif Awan, Senior Vice President Abdul Rasheed, Abbottabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Khalid Latif, Sheikh Asif, Senior Member of Mansehra Chamber Abdul Malik, Coordinator Small Industrial Estate Association KP Muhammad Younas Khattak, Arshad Muhammad, Mehran Afridi, Nazar Muhammad, Asadullah, Momin Afridi, Samiullah Afridi, Gul Sharif, Habibullah and others attended the meeting.

The participants asked the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) to avoid disconnecting power supply of industrial and commercial consumers due to delay in payment of bills, besides foregoing the additional surcharge.

It also sought ban on import of marble and granite to give boost to indigenous industries.

Speaking on the occasion, Maqsood Pervaiz said the small and medium enterprises and businesses had been adversely affected due to coronavirus lockdown in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He urged the federal and provincial governments to announce comprehensive relief package for small industries.

The SCCI chief urged the government to defer electricity and gas bills of small and medium enterprises for the month of March, April and May and rescheduled the loans of small factories. He demanded exemption of small manufacturing units from all federal and provincial taxes for at least one year.

He also called to bring down the markup rate to the single digit in upcoming fiscal budget for 2020-21 to give boost to trade activities and lift the economy.

Meanwhile, the Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry Peshawar has said that the coronavirus pandemic has badly affected the businesswomen, demanding interest-free loan for five years.

WCCI president Rukhsana Nadir and Fitrat Ilyas Bilour stated that the coronavirus lockdown had equally affected the businessmen. They said the government should announce relief package for them and provide them Rs5 to 10 lakh interest-free loan at least for five years.