LCCI chief urges government to reduce number of public holidays

Business community has urged the government to rationalise the number of public holidays in consultation with the business community. Voicing their concern over a number of public holidays observed in Pakistan on account of Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha, Ashura and Satudays and Sundays, Lasbela Chamber of Commerce and Industry's (LCCI) President Yakoob A Karim said that too many holidays are causing huge losses to the national exchequer, badly affecting already sick economy, besides having negative impact on working habits of skilled and non-skilled labourers.
"Pakistan cannot afford long holidays as they result in heavy losses up to billions of rupees to the national exchequer, affect trading activities, particularly the export sector and also deprive poor daily wage earners of their livelihood," he added.
He was of the view that Pakistan required to work day and night to become an economically prosperous country as was being done in Bangladesh and China. "The nation has enjoyed unprecedented number of holidays since Ramazan this year," he said, adding that too many holidays were also causing irreparable losses to students as their educational institutions also remain closed during public holidays.
He demanded of the government to change the previous government's `unjust' decision of observing two holidays in a week as it has not only added to the sufferings of the business community, but has also resulted in huge losses to the national exchequer. He said that the decision of observing two holidays in a week ie Saturdays and Sundays which was aimed at conserving electricity has failed to yield any positive results. On the contrary, this unjust move was terribly affecting the country's economy due to closure of Custom houses, ports and banks, he added.
Moreover, a strategy aimed at ensuring uninterrupted power, gas and water supply to industries should be evolved for giving boost to industrial production, he added. Expressing similar views, an exporter Muhammad Husain, pointed out that business and industrial activities remand closed in Karachi for about 100 days in 2012.
He said that industrial production and exports' shipment schedule are badly affected during long public holidays which are observed in the country on account of Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha holidays or on some other occasions as well as on Saturdays and Sundays. In addition to public holidays announced by federal government, provinces also off and on announce holidays, thereby badly affecting commercial and industrial activities in the country, he added.