Small traders ask government to evolve SOPs for markets

Small traders Saturday asked the government to evolve SOPs for opening markets and help them scale back continuing financial losses amid Covid-19 spread.

"There is a need for opening markets amid Covid-19 risk but under the government SOPs to help schedule opening of markets," Mehmood Hamid, President All Pakistan Organization of Small Traders and Cottage Industry told Business Recorder.

A committee, he said, the Chief Minister Sindh has constituted, which the Commissioner Office will lead, to chalk out SOPs to allow markets to open on a different hourly basis during weekdays. "We seek SOPs to open different markets located at different parts of the city on an hourly basis on different weekdays to help traders avoid further financial losses," he said.

He said that garments and clothing traders are hit the worst from the lockdown, who now need to trade just for a few hours a day on any weekday. Traders are of the view that the public movement should be controlled through SOPs as the government also wants social distancing amid prevention from corona virus. "The SOPs will help reduce social distancing and allow traders earn after one month of a lockdown," he said, adding that traders have so far lost Rs24 billion in sales as business deals are at halt. He feared economic situation will worsen for the small traders if SOPs did not take place.