ABOUT 95 per cent of the industry has been closed since the outbreak of coronavirus in Pakistan. The Sindh government has issued several orders regarding the lockdown.

There are millions of people attached to fishing industry such as fishermen, boat support shops, ice factories, transport, mechanics and factories with hundreds of workers, who are facing financial problems.

Factories are already facing losses as they have to pay fixed charges to K-Electric, besides paying for other utility services and salaries.

However, neither the federal nor the Sindh government has come up with a practical solution. On top of it, KE has come up to recover Industrial Support Package (ISPA) charges with government taxes retrospectively at a time when we have the Covid-19 outbreak.

Unfortunately, the government, which is coming up with relief packages for other industries, has been watching the misery of fishing industry as a silent spectator.

I appeal to the federal and Sindh governments to think about genuine problems of the fishing industry which contributes to economy with $450 million export annually.

The ISPA should be deferred for one year or there should be 24 equal installments to start after September as fishing is closed till August. The fishing industry should be given the same benefits which five other export industries have, for it is also an export industry.

The government should also restart development of Karachi Fish Harbour Authority, which has been halted since the lockdown.

Syed Akhlaq Hussain Abidi

Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2020