ISLAMABAD    -  President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan said that the business community of the federal capital and ICCI were on the same page on all important issues.

He said that the ICT administration had issued a notification in line with the guidelines of NCOC to close businesses for two days a week without taking the business community into confidence, which had created problems for all the trade bodies.

However, ICCI immediately convened a meeting of all market associations of Islamabad to finalise new schedule for closure of businesses in the federal capital.

He said the representatives of all market associations in the said meeting had stressed that if absolutely necessary, the businesses should be closed only for one day in a week and if it was inevitable to close them, some markets should be closed on Friday and Saturday whilst others should be closed on Saturday and Sunday and this arrangement should continue up to April 11, 2021 only.

He said that the ICCI had proposed a complete new schedule for business closure in Islamabad to the ICT administration based on the input of the business community with the consensus of all the stakeholders of Islamabad.

Subsequently, the deputy commissioner Islamabad has issued a revised program to close markets for two days a week as per the proposed schedule of ICCI. President ICCI thanked the district administration for considering the proposed schedule of ICCI and issuing a revised notification accordingly for markets closures. This schedule would balance the footfall within the Capital and would also allow businesses to survive during these difficult times. 

Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan said that the month of Ramadan was around the corner and business activities of some sectors achieved better growth due to Ramadan and Eid. He urged that businesses be allowed to continue with strong enforcement of SOPs in order to save them from financial losses.