PESHAWAR   -  President, Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sherbaz Bilour has expressed reservations over issuance of government’s notification regarding closure of businesses on Saturday and Sunday, and urged the authorities to allow trading on weekends.

Chairing a meeting of traders’ community here at the chamber house on Thursday, Sherbaz Bilour said that the restriction to close trade and commercial hubs, including bazaars, wedding halls and markets by 8 pm and complete suspension of businesses on Saturday and Sunday, can further worsen the situation.

SCCI senior vice president,  Engineer Manzoor Elahi, vice president Junaid Altaf, office bearers to different trade bodies and bazaars unions in a large number were present during the meeting.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has notified closure of markets on Saturday and Sunday in nine Covid hit districts of the province, including Peshawar, Mardan, Nowshera, Swat, Kohat, Charsadda, Swabi, Malakand and Lower Dir districts. However, medical stores, general stores and other basic necessities’ shops will remain open on all days.

Sherbaz Bilour urged the government to  relax policies to flourish trade and economic activities. He emphasized that the business community should be consulted before implementation of new restrictions.

He called upon the government to immediately withdraw the new Covid-19 restrictions, imposed on the businesses to save from further losses. He said the traders have already suffered immense financial losses during earlier lockdown, and if the new SOPs are not relaxed, the small trading community would further suffer ”.

Sherbaz Bilour emphasized that bazaars and markets needed to remain open round the clock so it can minimize chances of spreading covid-19 virus. He added that businesses  needed relief measures from the government in taxes, interest rates, loans and utility charges,  instead of the imposition news restrictions,  multiplying  miseries of the community.