ISLAMABAD: Muhammad Ahmed Waheed, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) has demanded from the government to allow complete opening of all businesses with SOPs after the Eid ul Azha as our fragile economy could not afford to keep businesses closed for long time. He also appealed to the traders, industrialists and the general public to take all precautionary measures during the Eid-ul-Azha and fully comply with the instructions issued by the Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Hamza Shafqat in order to prevent the re-outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.

Muhammad Ahmed Waheed said that due to coronavirus and lockdowns, traders and industrialists have suffered huge losses which will take long time to recover. However, he said that by the grace of Allah Almighty, the devastations of the Covid-19 pandemic have significantly reduced, but the high officials were afraid that the virus will spread again on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha. That is why closed businesses have not been reopened yet. However, he demanded from the government that all businesses be reopened completely after Eid as our weak economy cannot afford further losses by keeping businesses closed.

The ICCI president said the Covid-19 had destroyed businesses, reduced tax collection by more than 30 percent and increased inflation and unemployment manifold. He said that the economy was expected to improve with the return of businesses to normal rooutine. He hoped that after Eid, all closed businesses would be fully reopened with SOPs from August 5 so that the economy could come out of the problems and move towards rehabilitation that would reduce the problems of the business class and the common man.