Govt aware of sufferings of business community: Shibli Faraz

ISLAMABAD, Apr 27 (APP):Senator Syed Shibli Faraz on Monday said the government was well aware of the sufferings of small and large traders, and was ready to facilitate the business community.
Chairing the 4th meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Coronovirus Disease (COVID-19) here at the Parliament House, he said the business and agricultural segments were of vital importance to bring the country out of the present economic and health crisis.
On the invitation of the chair, the leaders of business community put forth their suggestions and issues faced by their community. Expressing their views about the worrisome situation faced by majority of the businessmen, FPCCI President Anjum Nisar and Small Traders Association President Ajmal Baloch suggested that the gas and electricity bills should be waived by the government as businesses were closed due to the lockdown.
They also pointed out that small traders and shopkeepers were in dire situation and their financial security was the responsibility of the government in the present crisis. Anjum Nisar apprised the committee about the restriction on exports especially on Afghan Transit trade, enforcement of the SBP interest rate with immediate effect, waiver of restriction of CNIC on transactions and tax exemptions on CNG sector. He also suggested for implementation of the decision of the government for waiver of demurrage charges imposed on ships at seaports.
Ajmal Baloch suggested that rents and utility bills of shopkeepers and small traders might be waived for the duration of pandemic, besides allowing small traders to open their businesses for small duration subject to observance of health guidelines and standard operation procedures (SOPs) by the health department.
He also suggested for provision of interest free loans for small traders and shopkeepers for the revival of their businesses.
Minister for Industries and Production Muhammad Hamad Azhar said the government was focusing to address economic woes of the business community, especially the small traders and their electricity bills would be waived for next six months.
He said almost 95 percent small businesses used commercial meters and now the electricity and gas bills would be paid by the government itself during the lockdown. On the other hand he also pointed out that a special package of Rs.70 billion for laid off workers associated with the industrial sector would be announced by the government soon.
He said as far as large businesses were concerned they could get facilitation through different financing schemes offered by the State Bank of Pakistan. Responding to the issue regarding imposition of ban on export through Afghan transit trade, the minister said majority of the exports to Afghanistan were food items, therefore, in order to ensure food security in the country the said ban was imposed. He said a single package could not address the issues of all the industrial sectors, therefore sector specific packages would be devised by the government.
Minister for IPC Dr Fehmida Mirza said there was a dire need to bring out a unanimous policy regarding lockdown in the country. She urged for cooperative federalism which would create harmony in the relief efforts and for combating the disease.
Emphasizing the role of Council of Common Interests, she said all the issues needed to be discussed at the CCI level for achieving unanimity to control the pandemic.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the government was fully cognizant of the issues faced by the common traders and masses, and urged all the public representative to cooperate with all at every level.
Ali Muhammad Khan, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs said the parliamentary committee, being the august forum, must take a prompt decision. He also demanded that implementation of the decision taken by the committee must be followed in letter and spirit. He also suggested for taking an appropriate action against the mill owners who laid off their workers and were not paying their outstanding wages.
The committee unanimously recommended for the release of arrested traders in Karachi at the earliest.
The other members of the parliamentary committee belonging to the opposition urged the government to take unanimous measures to tackle the situation that emerged due to COVID-19. They also demanded that trade and business community should be the special focus of the policymakers.
They also stressed for taking note of unscheduled power outages in Balochistan and rural area of the country. They also suggested invitations to representatives of farming community in next meeting of the committee to hear their points of view on problems being faced by them.
The meeting was also attended by ministers Pervez Khattak and Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, MNAs Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Ms. Shahida Akhtar Ali, Nawabzada Shazain Bugti, Amir Haider Azam Khan, Senator Mushahid Ullah Khan, Senator Muhammad Ali Khan Saif, Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, Senator Sitara Ayaz, Senator Anwar ul Haq Kakar , Senator Aurangzeb Khan and as special invitees Dr. Nausheen Hamid, Parliamentary Secretary, MNAs Khurram Shahzad, Ali Pervaiz, Senator Saleem Mandviwala. The members who joined the meeting through video link were Senators Sherry Rehman, Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo and Muhammad Usman Khan Kakar. The special invitees from business community were Ajmal Baloch, President All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran and Anjum Nisar President FPCCI.