KARACHI: The long five-day Eidul Fitr holidays that cut-off Pakistan commercially from the world is said to have caused a loss of $355 million in external trade.

Lasbela Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Ismail Suttar on Saturday observed that the national economy is already in distress and can ill afford such a luxury.

He said the country’s annual exports stood at $26 billion and multiplying the one-day figure of $71 million gave the amount the country lostduring Eid holidays.

“The government has made it a precedent to declare long holidays to please the inefficient and incompetent bureaucracy,” he remarked.

“There is also social fall-out of long holidays,” he said and pointed out public resorted to unhealthy activities causing great losses, which are evident from the incidents at Sea View Karachi and the traffic jams at Murree and other big cities.

He said administration of no big city of the country is properly equipped to cope up with such tragic incidents.

Suttar urged upon the policymakers to refrain from allowing such a long spell of holidays, which the nation cannot afford both economically and socially.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2014