President of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), Muhammad Jawed Bilwani, has made an urgent appeal to the government to restore the six-day workweek for federal and provincial authorities.
This move, he argues, is crucial for revitalizing the economy and supporting the trade and industrial sectors. In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Bilwani highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by the business and industrial community since 2011.
He pointed out that the additional weekly holiday observed on Saturdays by various government ministries, departments, the State Bank of Pakistan, the Federal Board of Revenue, and financial institutions has severely hampered business operations. “Shipping companies also observe holidays on Saturdays, which complicates the handling of export and import consignments, leading to significant demurrage and detention charges,” he noted.
The KCCI president stressed that the lack of banking services on Saturdays disrupts commercial and trading activities. Businesspersons engaged with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are particularly affected, as these countries observe their weekly holiday on Fridays, limiting financial transactions to just four days a week. Bilwani also pointed out the difficulties faced by commercial centers and wholesale and retail networks due to banking service unavailability on Saturdays.
This situation not only complicates cash deposits but also poses security risks, as businesses are forced to keep their cash safe during the two consecutive holidays. He warned that incidents of cash snatching tend to increase on Saturdays, exacerbating the risks for businesses.
The KCCI’s call for reinstating a six-day workweek underscores the need for government action to support the business community and facilitate smoother trade operations.
