Announcing relief for tenants of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) markets' shops, Mayor Karachi Wasim Akhtar Monday said that they will be given four next months to pay rent of April and May in installation.
Talking to traders' delegation led by All Karachi Tajir Ittehad Chairman Atiq Meer here at Ferere Hall, Akhtar said, "We have to allow small traders to carryout their business at furniture, electronics and clothes markets after adopting precautionary measures or else they would face miseries to feed their families. If the situation persists, shop owners cannot pay salaries to their employees."
Deputy Mayor Syed Arshad Hassan, Senior Director Coordination Masood Alam, Senior Director Anti-Encroachment Basheer Siddiqui, Tajir Ittehad's Abdul Hai Khan, Muhammad Akram Rana, Altaf Lala, Shaikh M Rafeeq, Muhammad Khalid Noor, SM Irshad, Rashid Khan and KMC officials were also present on the occasion.
Akhtar said that there are 600,000 shops in Karachi through which hundreds of thousands of people are affiliated for job and now the people cannot afford further closure of shops. He suggested that different markets could be opened on different days of the week and the shopkeepers and people should follow SOPs set by the government.The Mayor asked the traders to appoint some persons in each market who should ensure adoption of all precautionary measures by the shopkeepers as well as by the people. He demanded of the government to provide relief to small traders in the head of taxes and utility bills.
The Mayor was of the view that KMC face financial crisis and there is 10 to 12 billion shortfall every month in the head of salaries and pensions but still stand besides the traders.
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