To mitigate impact on industries: KP forms task force on Covid-19

[caption id="attachment_579735" align="alignnone" width="2560"] A traveler is checked with a thermal scanner by a public health worker at the El Salvador International Airport Saint Oscar Romero y Galdamez as El Salvador puts in measures due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) concerns, in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador, March 12, 2020. REUTERS/Jose Cabezas[/caption]

In pursuance to the decision of the provincial cabinet and state of emergency declared in the wake of Corona Virus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Secretary Industries, Commerce and Technical Education Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has constituted a task force under his supervision to evaluate overall impact including production losses and unemployment due to Corona Virus (COVID-19) pandemic on industrial sector in the province, said a notification issued here Saturday.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Company (KP-EZDMC), Javed Iqbal Khattak has been nominated as chairman while other members are included CEO KP-BoIT, Director Industries, Managing Director, Small Industries Development Board (SIDB) and Project Director (PD) Economic Revitalization of KP and FATA (ERKF) project while Manager Estate (KP-EZDMC) as Secretary to the task force.
Other terms and references of the task force also include proposed measures to mitigate various types of losses and fiscal incentives to government for recovery of industrial sector. The task force will also make recommendations to Secretary Industries to exempt industries from observance of public holidays announced due to COVID-19 situation.
The task force had started functioning and in first instance had submitted recommendations to the Secretary Industries, Commerce and Technical Education for exempting various industries from the observance of the holidays, who had formally notified their exemption.
The exempted industries include oil and ghee and its allied industries like tin manufacturing, printing, packaging and plastic poach packing while flour and its allied industry of polypropylene have also been exempted of the lockdown.
Similarly, bottled water & beverages and their allied industries including plastic & glass bottle making, bottle cap making , seals making and printing and packaging have been exempted.
Other food items producers and its packaging include tin manufacturing, packaging and plastic pouch packing units. While pharmaceutical and its allied industries included printing, packaging, raw material manufacturing, ampules & bottle making, tin making, cotton/out over making, bottle manufacturing, aluminum foil making, bottle cap industry, cotton industry, robber stopper and vial ampoule making.
Similarly, the exempted agriculture sector units are included pesticides, fertilizer and seeking making while cement factories of Lakki, Kohat, Cherat, Nizampur and two units of Hattar have also been exempted of the holidays.
Six sugar mills of Peshawar, Mardan and D.I. Khan have also been exempted. Furthermore, tobacco processing units and cigarettes manufacturing units of Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan and Swabi are also exempted of the holidays.