KARACHI: President of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Mohammed Tariq Yousuf, while referring to numerous meetings with shopkeepers, owners of marriage halls and restaurants, stated that it was not practically possible to implement the federal government’s decision on energy conservation particularly in case of Karachi because of its dynamics, which are different as compared to the rest of Pakistan.

He said that the business community fully understands the need for taking energy conservation measures to deal with rising circular debt but the decision to close shops, restaurants and marriage halls earlier was impractical in Karachi where the business activities begin in the afternoon while the peak shopping hours are from 7pm to 10pm.

Hence, he fervently appealed to the government that instead of closing shops earlier, shopkeepers must be allowed to stay operational till 10pm whereas the marriage halls and restaurants must also be permitted to carry on their businesses till 11pm.

Keeping in view the repercussions of reduced business timings for shops and restaurants, KCCI chief hoped that the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his team would take notice of business community’s plea and issue directives for enhancing the business hours as reduced business timings would prove disastrous not only for businesses but also for the economy.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023