President of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Maqsood Anwar Pervaiz, has appealed to the government to waive electricity and gas bills of industrial and commercial consumers for at least three months.

Addressing a joint meeting of industrialists, traders and shopkeepers via video link here on Thursday, the SCCI chief appreciated the government for allowing deferment of payment of electricity and gas bills of domestic consumers for the next three months.

Maqsood Pervaiz said the industrial and commercial activities have completely been suspended due to prolonged lockdown as precautionary steps to contain spread of the novel coronavirus in the country.

He said the business community was facing serious financial challenges due to halt of industrial process and commercial activities. However, he regretted the government had not yet issued orders to defer payment of electricity and gas bills of industrial and commercial consumers.

The chamber president urged the federal government, Prime Minister Imran Khan, federal Minister for Water and Power, Umar Ayub, and high-ups of the SNGPL to waive electricity and gas bills of industrial and commercial consumers for the next three months.

The SCCI president demanded of the government to exempt small traders from all federal and provincial taxes immediately, besides interest-free loans be granted to them.