ISLAMABAD: The business community will take up with the Parliamentary Committee on Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) on Monday its concerns regarding the impact of expanded lockdown across the country.
The committee would meet here with Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar in the chair, while Minister for Industries and Production will brief the committee on the impact of lockdown and immediate steps required to protect the economy with particular reference to the industrial sector.
Likewise, the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce will brief the committee in effect to the lockdown with reference to trade and commercial activities in the country.
The committee has also invited representatives of the business community to hear their perspective of the issue in hand besides getting their input for making appropriate recommendations to the government for revival of economy affected by the COVID-19.
Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) President Mian Anjum Nisar and All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiraan President Ajmal Baloch will brief the Committee regarding the concerns and demands of industrialists, exporters, importers and traders.
The parliamentary committee has also specially invited Ishfaq Yousaf Tola, the Chairman of Economic Advisory Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP). Members of the National Assembly Ali Pervaiz Malik, Raja Khurrum Shahzad and Senator Saleem Mandviwala, the Deputy Chairman Senate, would also give their input on impact on lockdown due to the COVID-19 and immediate steps required to protect the economy.
Soon after surfacing of the coronavirus in Pakistan, a 25-member parliamentary committee was constituted having equal representation from the National Assembly and the Senate with Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser for parliamentary oversight on the measures by the government to curtail the spread of the virus, relief operations and its impact on the country’s economy.
Moreover, the parliamentary committee has already constituted a sub-committee under the convenership of Senator Shibli Faraz with MNAs Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Ms. Shahida Akthar Ali and Senator Muhammad Ali Saif as its members in its 3rd meeting.
The sub-committee has been mandated to examine recommendations of the committee for their implementation. The sub-committee has also been asked to submit its report periodically to the parliamentary committee.
