Business community cautions against anti-economic lockdown decision

KARACHI: Business community on Thursday voiced strong regrets over the provincial government’s ‘unfair’ decision to reimpose two-week lockdown on economic activities, advising it to use administrative powers instead to enforce coronavirus preventive rules.

In a strongly-worded joint statement, Businessmen Chairman Group Zubair Motiwala and Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Shariq Vohra said millions of people associated with restaurants, hotels, cafes, cinema houses, indoor gyms, indoor sports and inland tourism “will die of starvation instead of dying due to diseases triggered by the pandemic.

“Therefore, the government must understand the gravity of the situation and withdraw the unjust decision to once again close down numerous businesses.”

The Sindh government has imposed a lockdown till July 31 for certain business activities as coronavirus cases are rebounding.

“If the administration is able to strictly get the shops/ businesses closed then why it is not being used for strict implementation of SOPs [standard operating procedures],” Motiwala said in support of unstopped economic cycle to save the economy and the businesses from total collapse.

“These businesses are already going through terrible crises and the curbs imposed once again would wipe them out forever that would lead to further intensifying the hardships not only for the business community but also for the already ailing economy, besides triggering massive unemployment which would prove more dangerous than the coronavirus pandemic,” he said. “After going through the toughest time of their lives, the owners of restaurants, cinema houses and other businesses took the much-awaited sigh of relief as they were allowed to carry out their businesses but unfortunately within a few days, the Home Department has once again ordered them to close down which is highly unfair.”

Vohra said the government, instead of taking an action against those who were not abiding by the SOPs, penalised all the businesses by ordering them to remain closed till July 31 which has triggered a lot of anxiety amongst businessmen who have been constantly approaching KCCI to seek assistance.

“Keeping in view the overall situation and grievances suffered by the business and industrial community, President KCCI hoped that the Sindh government would provide the desperately needed relief to local businesses by completely revoking the order on top priority so that the businesses and the economy could be saved from further disaster,” he said.