ISLAMABAD, JUN 25 (DNA) – Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) said that the coronavirus positivity rate in Islamabad has now come down to less than 1 percent and urged that the government should restore all businesses to normal timings without any restrictions along with allowing indoor dining & functions in restaurants, weddings halls & marquees as these businesses have suffered huge losses due to ban on their indoor business activities. 

Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan said that ICCI in collaboration with NCOC, DHO and other stakeholders launched an active vaccination drive in the federal capital by opening vaccination centres in markets and industrial areas.

This drive covered almost 90 percent of Islamabad for vaccination, which led to marked reduction in coronavirus cases, therefore, it was the right time that the government should restore all businesses to normal operations so that they could revive business activities and play a more effective role in uplifting the economy.

ICCI President said that thousands of workers were employed in restaurants, wedding halls and marquees, but due to the ban on their indoor activities to control the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic, these businesses have suffered badly and were facing multiple problems.

He said that due to the continued ban on their indoor economic activity, many restaurants, wedding halls and marquees have suffered closure due to which hundreds of thousands of workers have lost their jobs.

He cautioned that keeping a ban on indoor activities of these businesses would render more workers jobless that would create social unrest.   

Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan said that the government should defer the bank loans for one year and waive off utility bills of those businesses that remained closed due to Covid-19 pandemic. He further said that the government should also provide financial support to the workers of closed businesses from Ehsaas Emergency Cash program to alleviate their financial problems.

He was of the view that with less than 1 percent positivity rate of Covid-19 pandemic, there was no need to keep restrictions on business timings and urged that the government should now restore all businesses to routine operations.=DNA

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