President Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Muhammad Ashraf Malik has said that Punjab government on the pressing demands of SCCI allowed vending industry of Sialkot to operate. The industry will be bound to implement the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of Punjab government in letter and spirit.

Talking to Business Recorder on Wednesday, he said that thousands of families were linked with vendor industry for earning their livelihood as well as vendor industry was the integral part of export sector of this export hub. The value added industry of Sialkot relied on its vendors and raw material providers for supplies and export after necessary value addition, he said.

The SCCI president was of the opinion that opening of complete supply chain would help accelerate business activities in Sialkot.

He further added the business community would comply with the guidelines to ensure health safety of themselves, workers and their customers.

The Covid-19 Pandemic had totally changed the global economic scenario enforcing a paradigm shift in how businesses were conducted around the globe, he said.

The SCCI president said the export sector of Sialkot was fully aware of the gravity of the situation and had all the capabilities to adopt with the SOPs considering their experience of complying with international standards demanded by international buyers.

He was of the view that other sectors of economy including the traders, retailers and whole sellers should follow suit of the export sector of Sialkot and replicate the same for safety measures in their respective domains of business.

Ashraf added that complying with the SOPs was the only way to conduct business amidst the prevailing pandemic and businesses would need to understand that their sustainability would depend on the efficacy of their safety procedures.

The SCCI president said the value added industry of Sialkot relied on its vendors and raw material providers for supplies and export after necessary value addition, he said.

The Chamber's president said the city of Sialkot was a hub of SME based exporters who had thrived on the model of successful backward linkages and opening of the whole supply chain of the exporters was imperative to meet the orders and sustain the economy amidst the Covid-19 crisis. Through export earnings foreign reserves would improve, a vital factor in economic sustainability of the country, he said.