Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry has called upon the local administration to halt conducting raids on hotels and restaurants in Islamabad without first issuing warning as these activities were creating harassment in the business community.

 

Muzzamil Hussain Sabri, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that ensuring cleanliness in hotels and restaurants was a good step on the part of the local administration, however, these businesses should first be warned to improve themselves and if they fail to improve, then action should be taken against them as per law. He said local administration should also develop proper Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) or check list for hotels and restaurants to ensure neat and clean food.

 

He said many restaurants and bakeries in the federal capital have been sealed and photographs thereof were being uploaded on the website of ICT Administration, which was not a good practice.

 

Muzzamil Hussain Sabri said imposing fines on hotels and restaurants without waiting for laboratory reports was also not a good approach. He said businessmen were ready to fully cooperate with local administration for maintenance of neat and clean conditions on food outlets, however, conducting sudden raids on such businesses without providing SoPs or checklist was creating concerns in the businessmen. 

 

He said local administration should take the businessmen of hotels and restaurants into confidence and develop SOPs or checklist in consultation with stakeholders to improve the standard of food at hotels so that people could avail good food at such outlets. He said after developing SoPs or check list, local administration should ensure continuous monitoring of hotels and restaurants in order to promote a culture hygienic conditions in hotels and restaurants.