SINDH has once again demonstrated ingenuity by approving a comprehensive ordinance aimed at providing emergency relief to those affected by COVID-19. The ordinance would give legal cover to measures like reduction in school fee, guarantee against retrenchments, continued payment of salaries and discounts on gas consumption and house rent.
Federal and provincial governments have been striving hard to provide relief to all segments of the society in view of the challenges thrown by the new virus but some of the measures announced needed legal cover so that the private sector too implements them in letter and spirit. The ordinance assumes importance in the backdrop of media reports that some private educational institutions were not ready to lower fee even by meagre 20% despite the fact that all schools, colleges and universities are closed, at least till May 31 throughout the country. The State Bank of Pakistan has also announced incentives for employers to ensure that employees are not retrenched and their salaries are paid timely. However, there are still reports of many factories and institutions laying off their employees. The ordinance envisages no employer would fire any employee but some deductions from salaries can be made for the benefit of the employer. Deductions like non-payment of conveyance allowance are understandable when employees don’t have to pay for transport charges during lockdown period. The Sindh Government also deserves credit for evolving a comprehensive SOP for resumption of work by different businesses requiring adoption of safety procedures, use of protective gear by employees, guidelines for visitors/customers and binding the employer to bear expenses for treatment of an employees who contracts the disease. We hope other provinces would also follow the way shown by the Sindh Government in ensuring safety of people at a time when proposals are being contemplated to open more and more sectors.
