KARACHI: The Sindh government on Saturday allowed business activities across the province from Monday in accordance with the decisions of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) but warned that the lockdown, with more restrictions, could return if the cases of coronavirus witnessed a new spike.

Sindh Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said in a statement that all the business activities would be allowed to operate under specific guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs). “Any businessman who would not fully comply with the guidelines or SOPs will not be allowed to do business,” he said.

He said that until the coronavirus was completely eradicated from the country, or until its vaccine was developed, all of us could neither adopt a normal lifestyle nor do business in the way we used to do in the past.

“If we are not careful, the situation will get worse,” the minister said, adding: “Because the cure has not yet been discovered anywhere and it spreads very fast from one person to another. So the only way to prevent the spread of coronavirus ... is to be careful and not to leave our homes unnecessarily.”

He said that although the NCC had not yet given permission to open major markets, shopping malls and departmental stores, the Sindh government would consult with the federal government and the provinces in this regard.

Minister Nasir Shah says traders, businessmen must follow SOPs

He said that the Sindh government was bound by the decision of the apex court, which had asked all the provinces and the federation to adopt a uniform policy to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Shah said that Sindh ministers met the business community in a meeting in which about 100 businessmen participated and shared their problems.

He said that the leaders of the business community were assured that the businesses which had been allowed to open by the NCC would be allowed to open from Monday.

The information minister said that the federal government would also be informed about the problems of the business community.

He said that as far as the Sindh government was concerned, it would solve the problems of traders and businessmen on a priority basis.

“According to the decision of the federal government, if the pandemic starts spreading rapidly, we will have to go for a complete lockdown again,” the minister said. “There is no doubt that reviving business activity is important, but more important is saving lives.”

He said that in order to improve the economic conditions and keep the unemployment rate to a minimum, the Sindh government had already allowed a number of industries to operate under SOPs.

Shah said that all factories and industries were required to fully implement the SOPs, including checking employees’ temperatures, maintaining social distancing and providing masks and hand sanitisers.

“If we cooperate with each other, the wheel of life will start running again, otherwise it will be very difficult for the government to deal with the pandemic alone,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2020