BMG chairman urges traders to exhibit complete unity

KARACHI: Businessmen Group (BMG) chairman and former president of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Zubair Motiwala has urged all the shopkeepers and small traders to exhibit complete unity and solidarity under the KCCI’s umbrella so that one strong voice could be raised to compel the federal and provincial governments pay attention to Karachi and immediately resolve all the issues being suffered by the citizens of Karachi, a statement said.

“The Karachi Chamber, being the premier chamber and a true representative of the entire business community, is not just for resolving problems of [the] businessmen and industrialists but small traders and shopkeepers are also equally important and dear to us; hence, the BMG leadership and the KCCI office-bearers are always available to help out small traders and shopkeepers who are an integral part of this chamber,” he said while speaking at the first meeting of the Special Committee for Small Traders.

Commenting on the hardships being suffered by the shopkeepers due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns, the BMG chairman urged the federal and provincial governments to provide a helping hand to the perturbed small traders and shopkeepers who were still distressed and have not come out of the crises because of the severe losses suffered during lockdowns.

The Karachi Chamber was struggling really hard to somehow convince the government to extend financial support to the shopkeepers as compensation for the losses suffered by them during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Responding to concerns expressed by the meeting participants over the poor attitude of police officers towards the shopkeepers, Motiwala assured that the Karachi Chamber was well aware of this particular issue; hence, it has already discussed it with Karachi Police Chief Imran Yaqub Minhas who assured to deal with it at the earliest so that the small traders and shopkeepers could carry out their business activities without any kind of fear from the police.

He also promised to invite additional IG for a meeting again at the KCCI in which small traders and shopkeepers will also be invited so that they could directly discuss issues pertaining to parking, police patrolling, encroachment, thefts, robberies, mobile snatching and other heinous crimes taking place in their areas.

“We will keep striving and continue to raise a very strong voice until all the issues are resolved as per the aspiration of the small traders.

Commenting on the problems being faced by the small traders and shopkeepers due to the complete closure of businesses on Sunday, which has been earmarked as Safe Day, the BMG chairman said this issue has been taken up with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah who has assured that if the NCOC declares Sunday as a working day for shopkeepers, he would immediately lift the restrictions of carrying out business activities on Sundays.

“[The] chief minister will also be visiting KCCI next week where we will again highlight this issue so that it could be taken into consideration,” he added.

He also said the KCCI has also taken up the issue of forced registration with Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) chairman Khalid Mehmood who was advised to hold consultations with the relevant market associations instead of forcing the shopkeepers to get registered.

“Any misconduct or demand for a bribe by [the] SRB official may please be reported to the KCCI and we will take up this matter with [the] SRB to ensure that no injustice was being done to anyone,” he added.

Keeping in view the hardships being faced by the shopkeepers in obtaining a trade licence, Motiwala assured to develop some kind of system within the KCCI so that the shopkeepers could get the trade licence without any demand for bribes by just paying the fee.

“We will also take up the possession issue being suffered by displaced shopkeepers of the encroachment drive who although have been allotted shops at alternative locations but the possession has not been given so far,” he added.