RCCI urges govt to ease lockdown.

RAWALPINDI -- Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) President Saboor Malik has urged the government to ease lockdown and provide a way to open all businesses under strict standard operating procedures (SOPs).

'Pakistan's economy cannot afford a complete lockdown, nor can it survive mass infections due to its overburdened healthcare system. An out of the box solution can be opted to open businesses on alternate basis either via limited working hours or geo-location basis,' said Mr Malik while addressing the eighth executive committee meeting.

He said the business community had lauded Punjab government's recent steps and consultations with respect to the partial lockdown aiming at opening businesses.

'We consider recommendations prepared by Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar regarding opening of business as encouraging,' he added.

RCCI has already sent letters to the chief minister, Federal Minister for Commerce Razzaq Dawood, Minister for Planning Asad Umar and Minister for Industry and Production Hamad Azhar regarding the epidemic and lockdown where we demanded that all...