Minister hints at fixing business hours permanently at 7pm

LAHORE:The Punjab government is considering permanently fixing the business hours of the markets and shopping centres with sunset at 7pm while on the violation of the timing action will be taken not only against the shopkeepers but also against the SHOs of the areas concerned.

Punjab Minister for Industries and Trade Mian Aslam Iqbal, during visit to Old Anarkali Friday to monitor the SOPs implementation, said that traders demand to increase the business hours of the markets and shopping centres was unjustified. The government will not increase the business hours of the markets and shopping centres, rather it is consulting to permanently fix the business market closing time with sunset or 7pm, he said.

The minister asked the shop owners to provide the mask to the buyers and those shopkeepers could not provide masks to the customers they should close their shops and go back home. He warned the shopkeepers on the violations of the SOPs.

The minister appealed to the people not to bring children and elderly people in the markets, besides maintain the social distance and other SOPs in the public places. He stressed that it was also duty of the trader community to ensure the implementation of the SOPs along with the government.

He said on violations of SOPs at any shop not only the shop concerned but the whole market would also be sealed while the duration of sealing of the shops was not decided yet. Further, the business timings of the markets will also be strictly monitored and closing of the markets at 7pm will be strictly implemented. No one will be allowed to continue business by lowering down shutters of their respective shops, he added.

He advised that it was essential to adopt precautionary measures in order to save the people’s lives. He expressed his concern that corona pandemic had reached a dangerous point and the number of patients was increasing briskly. The minister directed that the children and elders should also not be allowed to enter the markets.