Marriage halls: Owners postpone protest after minister's assurance

LAHORE: Owners of marriage halls across Punjab have postponed their protest after the Punjab government announced to give them a tax relief package through which they would mitigate their losses which they incurred during the lockdown.

The announcement was made by Punjab Industries and Trade Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal on Tuesday during a meeting with a delegation of marriage halls owners led by Punjab Marriage Halls Association patron-in-chief Mian Muhammad Ilyas.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister claimed that currently the coronavirus situation is improving in Punjab. And if it continues this way, we would allow marriage owners to reopen their businesses from September 1, he assured the delegation.

On the other hand, he said the Punjab government would give the marriage halls owners a tax relief package through which they would mitigate their losses which they have incurred during the lockdown. He said he would take up this issue in the upcoming meetings of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) and the Cabinet and then the government would chalk out a plan regarding their operational activities.

"We have no interest in shutting down businesses, but we had taken steps for the safety of people following rising numbers of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the province. I know that livelihood of thousands of people is associated with the business of marriage halls and its allied industries," he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020