Traders have sought help of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry for relief to get rid of the crisis posed due to prolonged lockdown.
The delegations of traders informed the LCCI President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, Senior Vice President Ali Hussam Asghar, Vice President Mian Zahid Jawaid Ahmad and former President Muhammad Ali Mian that relief measures are a must to handle economic crisis being faced by the trading community.
While presenting joint suggestion, traders and LCCI leadership said that rents of the commercial buildings, offices and shops, owned by the provincial governments should be waved off. Punjab government should immediately cancel notification regarding rents. Small traders should be given interest-free loans up to Rs. 5 lakhs while easy loans up to Rs. 5 million should be given to small and medium enterprises. They said that special package should be given to the small traders who are the major victim of lockdown. Interest on running finance for the importers should be freeze for at least 6 months. They said that jewelers, car dealers and property dealers should be allowed to do business.
They said that keeping in view upcoming Holy Month of Ramazan, shoes, readymade garments industries and traders should be allowed to do business. Household Electronics and wholesale, retail markets of electric equipment should be allowed to open. Auto spare market should be allowed to do business. Decision of deferment of 3-month commercial utility bills should be implemented. Banks should be directed to extend loans to traders so that they can pay salaries to their employees.
LCCI President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh said that the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry is well aware of the miseries of traders and has already taken up these issues at highest level.
The delegations of traders were led by the trade leaders Naeem Mir, Haji Hanif, Naveed Ullah Khan, Khalid Pervez, Ashraf Bhatti, Khurram Lodhi, Sheikh Umer Hayat, Mujahid Maqsood Butt, Mehboob Ali Sirki, Muhammad Khalid and Malik Shahid Ghafoor.
