ISLAMABAD: Representatives of markets in the capital on Saturday urged the government to notify closure of businesses once in a week for tackling the Covid-19 pandemic.

At a meeting, they said they had suffered huge losses due to the previous lockdowns.

The participants of the meeting chaired by Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan, the president Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), said the business community could not afford closure of businesses for two days a week. Therefore, they urged the government to allow them to open their business with strict adherence of SOPs.

The ICCI president said governments in many countries had provided significant financial relief to businesses for enabling them to combat the impact of the pandemic. He said the Federal Board of Revenue should either allow tax filers to pay their taxes in installments or offer them a deferred filing date in order to give relaxation to businesses that have suffered losses worth billions of rupees nationwide.

He said Chief Commissioner Amer Ali Ahmed and Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat had adopted a cooperative approach towards businesses and facilitated them throughout the pandemic.

However, the National Command and Operation Centre was making decisions for closure of businesses without consulting the business community, he added.

The government should take important economic decisions in consultation with the business community, especially the chambers of commerce, Sardar Yasir Ilyas demanded.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2021