Traders threaten to open markets if deprived of financial 'relief package'

Despite growing coronavirus cases across Punjab, the All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran (APAT) has threatened to reopen markets and shops in phases if the government failed to provide them a relief package as financial condition of large number of small-scale traders is deteriorating with every passing day.

The announcement was made by APAT Naeem Mir Group after a meeting with Provincial Trade and Industry Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal on Tuesday. A member of the traders' delegation told Business Recorder that it was decided in the meeting that the government would shortly allow some industries or business to operate by adopting precautionary measures.

He informed the minister that opening certain markets would be of no use unless they would not allow the whole chain to work. He said the minister assured them of redressing their all concerns and added that the government would provide them certain health guidelines for continuing their businesses. He said the traders demanded of the government to devise a relief package for them as it did for big industries. "All traders were off the opinion that the Punjab government with the consultation of the federal government must introduce a three-tier relief package for them," he said.

Under the proposal, he added, the government should provide relief amount of Rs 100,000 to small-scale traders under followed by introduction of Rs 500,000 interest-free loans and Rs 5 million in phases.

He said as Ramazan-ul-Mubarak is approaching fast, the government should allow traders to work by revising market timings and rents of government building be waved off. The traders also demanded that barricades around those markets which have only one or two entry and exit points must be removed. He continued that the traders asserted during the meeting that the government must give them financial relief package before extending the lockdown further. According to the trader, Mian Aslam assured them of addressing their all concerns after taking up the matter in the meeting of the National Coordination Committee.

Meanwhile, the delegation also met with Provincial Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs and Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Maal Raja Basharat and discussed their reservations.

Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Punjab, DIG Operations Rai Babar Saeed and the deputy commissioner, Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, APAT Central General Secretary Naeem Mir and other prominent stakeholders were also present in the meeting.

"The government had taken all the precautionary measures to ensure safety and protection of the lives of the people," Basharat told the meeting and appreciated the cooperation of traders in the time of trial.

"We have categorically told the minister that if the government failed to provide relief amount and ration bags to small-scale traders, they would have no other option but to open their shops," declared Naeem Mir while talking to the media after the meeting. However, he said, the minister assured them that their all "genuine concerns" would be resolved for which a committee has also been constituted.

He added that their meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has been fixed for today and they would announce their next strategy after that. Earlier in the day, the All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran had announced to open markets despite the reservations of the government and growing confirmed Covid-19 cases across the province.