Traders reject two holidays a week

[LRE]

Traders reject two holidays a week,



early closure of shopping centres

Thursday, September 11, 2008
By M Farhan Zaheer

KARACHI: Traders have denounced the decision of 31 per cent rise in power rates and said that government should give up trying to conserve energy through unpopular moves like two holidays a week and early closure of shopping centres.

Eid shopping has geared up after 10 days of Ramazan. Major shopping centres like Jamia Cloth Market and the Tariq Road are open past midnight.

Siddiq Memon, Chairman, Traders Action Committee said that our decision to open shops late till night has been endorsed by the Labour Department right from the 1st Ramazan, and we are not liable to abide by the government move to shutdown markets early to conserve energy.

“From now on we would also open our markets on Fridays and Sundays till Eid-ul-Fitr without any gap. Government has provided us security with temporary check points and watch towers as shopping centres are thronged by almost 5 times more customers in ramazan,” he informed.

Despite regular protests there are frequent power breakdown of up to eight to 10 hours a day, as a result we are using generators and other alternatives, he added.

On the question of 2 holidays a week, he said, “We would strongly resist any such move, instead we would suggests that with the rising economic problems we should work 7-days a week like some other countries.”

Atiq Mir, Chairman, Alliance of Market Associations Karachi said that two holidays a week is not a viable decision for businesses and government should not approve such decision hurriedly as it seems that bureaucrats are bent upon destabilising the nascent democracy in the country.

He said that considering the severe economic problems when businesses are already under pressure it is not feasible for the country to make such new experiments.

Jamil Paracha, Chairman, Old City Traders Alliance, said this year in the first 10-days of ramazan business activities in wholesale markets have been hopeless and sales have decreased by up to 60 per cent. Daily sales in wholesale markets are almost Rs400 million which have reduced to only below Rs100 million a day.

He said that rise in utility rates is a major concern for businesses.

Mehmood Hamid, President, Karachi division, All Pakistan Organization of Small Traders and Cottage Industries said that small industry and businesses would be hurt with 31 per cent rise in power rates and we reject this anti-industry decision.

S M Naseem, Chairman, Pakistan Tanners Association has criticised the government’s move of two holidays a week in a bid for conserving energy, which would not only damage production but also add up in the rising cost of production.

He said that industries are already facing production losses because of the load-shedding and intermittent electricity failure and it is fast becoming difficult to meet timely export targets.

He added that instead of creating business friendly atmosphere in the country government is trying to endorse anti-export industry. He also appeals government to give up the idea for the sake of country’s industry.


http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=135023