SCCI takes up traders’ alleged harassment with commissioner

PESHAWAR: The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and administration government have agreed to form a joint committee to ensure implementation of the coronavirus standard operating procedures and addressing the reservations of the trader community over the issue.

The agreement was reached during a meeting between SCCI delegation led by its president Sherbaz Bilour with Peshawar Commissioner Amjad Ali Khan here on Friday.

The committee will consist of members of SCCI, trade leaders and officials of district administration. It will meet on a biweekly basis to review the overall situation.

The meeting on the occasion discussed the problems pertaining to the industries and sought urgent steps to have them resolved amicably.

“No one can deny the danger posed by the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic”, Sherbaz Bilour said while speaking on the occasion.

The SCCI chief said the sealing of shops, plazas, markets and business hubs besides imposition of heavy fines, harassment and arrests of traders on the pretext of violating Covid-19 SOPs have become a major cause of the confrontation between the business community and district administration.

He asked the district administration to avoid actions against traders such as heavy fines, sealing of shops and markets if the customers violated the Covid-19 SOPs as, he believed, the trader community was adhering to Covid-19 SOPs under the prevailing circumstances.

Sherbaz Bilour urged the district authorities to treat the business community with dignity as traders are ready to comply with all relevant laws.

The SCCI press release said the commissioner agreed to the proposals made by the SCCI delegation about Covid-19 SOPs compliance assuring the district administration would cause disrespect to the business community.

The senior official agreed that the administration should not arrest and harass traders in case customers were violating Covid-19 SOPs.