–Businesses failing to follow SOPs would be shut down
–Ordinance to provide small businesses with loans being revised
KARACHI: The Sindh government on Sunday allowed all markets in the province to resume business activities from Monday after successful negotiations between the Sindh Traders’ Alliance (STA) and Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah.
According to a Sindh government spokesperson, markets across the province will operate from 6 am till 5 pm while shopping centres and malls will continue to remain closed. “Shops will start closing at 4 pm though,” he added.
The spokesperson further said there was a consensus on the SOPs for operation between traders and the provincial government.
Meanwhile, the Sindh chief minister (CM) in his daily video message said that the government’s priority was the health and safety of the public.
“We keep talking to the federal government every now and then. The federal government wanted to open businesses at night, which we rejected. We also had reservations against the opening of airports and public transport. So far, the federal government has accepted our recommendations,” he said, adding that all the four provinces have done the same.
The chief minister further said they were trying to get loans for small businesses and an ordinance in this regard had been forwarded.
“The governor, however, has sent the ordinance back which we will resend after making changes,” he said.
Meanwhile, Minister for Information Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said that only those business activities which were agreed upon between the federal government and all provinces are being restored.
The minister said that it was wrong to give the impression that lockdown was being completely lifted in Sindh.
“In a situation where the coronavirus is spreading rapidly in the province, and it is not known how far it will go, it is impossible for the Sindh government to lift the lockdown completely,” he added.
He said that although the situation demanded that there should be no further relaxation in the lockdown, the federal and provincial governments decided to resume business activities on a limited scale because of the risk of rising unemployment in the country.
Shah said that any business person or trader who did not follow the standard operating procedures would not be allowed to operate.
“God forbid, if the situation worsens, we will have to make tough decisions again,” he maintained.
He said that the Sindh government has also written a letter to the federal government to help traders and all members of the business community instead of giving them interest bearing loans.
“If the federal government helps traders, it would indirectly provide job security to daily wagers. We must not forget that the business community has a vital role to play in the economy and job creation,” he concluded.
