President of Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) Khawaja Muhammad Usman has criticised the government's announcement for seven days Eid holidays in Federal Government and four days in Punjab saying it has badly affected business activities in the country.
He said Federal Government servants observed 10 days holidays because they did not return on duty on Monday (July 28) while Provincial Government employees enjoyed seven days holidays instead of four. In a statement, he said the situation had turned negative for businesses as some industries and banks remained closed on Saturdays, making it difficult for them to operate their concerns on Saturday and Sunday.
Moreover, many workers had taken leave for the whole week from Monday to Saturday, which harmed activities in industrial estate of Multan. "To be an Asian Tiger, as envisaged by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, businessmen have to work hard and meet export targets which in this scenario seems difficult to achieve," said Khawaja Muhammad Usman. "The business community fully supports the government's economic agenda, but it needs to review its policy on Eid holidays."