ISLAMABAD: The computer vendor and IT industry has approached Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh to have an accurate assessment of losses to the traders of Hafeez Centre, Lahore, for announcement of immediate relief package including tax exemptions for the victims of the fire incident.
An urgent meeting of the IT leaders was held here on Tuesday, which was attended by Jamal Yousaf, Khawar Idress, Abrarul Haq, Abdullah Malik, Furqan Murtaza, and Umer Farooq.
Former Senior Vice President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) and former executive member Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Munawar Iqbal, in a statement in Islamabad on Tuesday, expressed his deep shock and sorrow over the irreparable damage to the property and business of the traders by the huge fire that engulfed Hafeez Centre in Gulberg on Sunday.
He asked the advisor to the prime minister on finance to immediately order measures for compensation to the businessmen and workers affected by the incident.
Jamal Yousaf, former senior vice chairman, demanded that the federal government should immediately provide relief to the traders, shopkeepers, and workers, associated with the business to help in the restoration of valuable business activity.
Munawar Iqbal said, in this difficult situation, the federal government should come to their help as well as their families, which were in a dire situation now. He said the traders were already suffering due to Covid-19 situation for the last several months.
He demanded of the government to announce a cash programme as well as tax exemption as relief to the traders who had been the victims of the fire incident. He said the businessmen were playing their important role in the economy of the country by paying huge taxes, and therefore, it was time for the government to provide full relief to them.
He also asked the government to provide safety measures in all important business centers in the country to avoid recurring of such tragic incidents. According to reports, a massive fire in Hafeez Centre, a major multi-story market, housing mobile phones, laptops and computers businesses in Lahore, gutted more than 400 shops, go-downs and repair facilities on Sunday.
After Uni Plaza and Techno City buildings in Karachi, Hafeez Centre building in Lahore is one of the main business hubs for wholesale/distribution computer companies together with mobile phones. It feeds not only Lahore but the entire Punjab province, having all major brands such as HP, Dell, Lenovo, Apple, and many others, present in this famous building at Gulberg, Lahore.
The loss incurred due to a fire that lasted for over 10 hours, which engulfed not only 200 shops but major computer hardware warehouses on 3rd and 4th floor. The process of estimating the losses is under way but by any standards and estimates, it is over billions of rupees.
The fire did not spare any items, as most of the equipment was prone to the fire sooner than later. Needless to say, but the fact is that most businesses are almost finished and they look up to the authorities to come forward to their rescue.
The Chamber of Commerce together with the FPCCI should take lead in coming forward for help in coordinating efforts for any financial assistance, which government of the day should seriously consider to dole out to the victims as soon as possible.
The fire erupted in the morning, and kept rising for the whole day, making breathing difficult in the area. Intermittent blasts from hundreds of split AC compressors added to the panic in the area. Munawar Iqbal termed this a failure of the authorities, and demanded that proper fire extinguishing equipment should be installed in all markets.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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