KARACHI: Careem, the super app of the Middle East and Pakistan, has announced to slash its restaurant commission rates to 5% with the second wave of COVID-19 hitting Pakistan and the closure of indoor dining. This announcement was made on Careem's social media assets encouraging people to order more.

The reduction in commission will allow Careem to extend the necessary support to restaurants by passing down these commissions in form of discounts to customers, while encouraging increased orders. During the first lockdown, the restaurant industry had taken a severe economic hit as dine-in was completely shut.

However, things are still challenging as the new SOPs require reduced timing with a complete ban on indoor dining. Speaking on the development, Zeeshan Hasib Baig, CEO and country general manager, Careem Pakistan, said: "At Careem, we always work to best assist our partners, customers and captains during these uncertain times. Being a key player in the industry, it is our duty to act as the supporting force behind our communities and vendors to ensure business sustainability."

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020