The traders and business community of the federal capital has strongly opposed the government’s decision to observe two weekly holidays – Sundays and Saturdays – in a bid to conserve energy with major trade organisations. Defying the government’s decision, they have asked the rulers to take solid and concrete steps to bridge the power gap instead of opting for artificial measures such as two weekly holidays and shutting down markets before sunset.
Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) President Yassar Sakhi Butt said that this decision would further slow down the already fragile economic wheel and would directly affect the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth. He urged the government to take steps to revive the economy by eliminating power theft rather than taking the measures announced in Wednesday’s cabinet meeting. He said that this decision would affect the working of industries adversely especially export-oriented industries which worked round the clock to meet the export targets throughout the year.
Butt suggested the government consider alternative measures for saving energy and enhancing the capacity of electricity generating units. He said that an additional weekly holiday would also cause financial loss to the national exchequer. He was of the view that permanent solutions should be worked out to overcome the energy crisis.
Traders all over the country also rejected the government’s move to observe two weekly holidays, saying this would adversely affect their businesses. The business community expressed deep concern and rejected the proposal of two-weekly holidays for all government departments and affiliated institutions in the name of energy conservation.
Ajmal Baloch a representative of the traders community said the country’s injured economy demanded work 365 days a year for its recovery. He said when the 5-day-week was observed for the public sector previously, customs and ports severely hampered commercial and industrial activity while exports of consignments and timely clearance of goods also suffered.
He said due to such practices Pakistan remained cut off from the rest of the world for three and half days. He said conservation was the need of the day but should not be done at the cost of commerce and industry since this would severely impede business activities and lead to a decline in the government’s revenue and economic instability. Baloch said traders resented the government’s attempts to close their shops in the evening by force as economic activity in the capital was already declining.
Two holidays would also affect the labor working on daily wages as this segment of society lived hand to mouth on a daily basis.
