The marriage halls owners on Monday called on LCCI office-bearers and sought their help for opening of their businesses.
LCCI President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh presided-over the meeting while Senior Vice President Ali Hussam Asghar, Junaid Ahmad Zia, Tahir Anjum and other representatives of marriage halls/marquees spoke on the occasion.
They said that marriage halls/marquees are not only a big source of tax collection for the government but hundreds of thousands workers, including waiters, electricians, decorators, caterers, chefs are directly associated with the business while hundreds of others like meat suppliers, flower suppliers and decorators are indirectly associated with this industry.
LCCI President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh said that while keeping in view the woes of marriage halls/marquees, government should allow them to do businesses with SOPs.
At the meeting, the participants demanded that banquet halls should be allowed to start taking bookings for the month of August 2020.
An urgen announcement is required so that they can start booking for the 1st week of August 2020 and onwards. Government should issue order to waive off the rent of banquet halls and marquees built on government and semi-government land for seven month and should also compensate the rent of banquet halls and marquees built on privately owned lands for seven months.
They said that property taxes on banquets halls and marquees should be waived off for at least one year while Punjab Revenue Authority should give sales tax exemption for two years. Government should increase closing time till 12am for the safety of the people and to avoid the rush during the entry and exit in the hall.
They said that banquet halls and marquees would implement all Standard Operating Procedures in true sense of words.
