HYDERABAD: The President Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI) Adeel Siddiqui has urged the Prime Minister and Chief Minister Sindh to announce a business assistance package for rehabilitation of business infrastructure which destroyed as a result of unprecedented heavy rains in Sindh particularly in Hyderabad.
Addressing the fellow business community here at HCCI Secretariat on Thursday, he said the Sindh government should offer relief to businessmen in provincial taxes.
Appreciating the decision of Sindh government of declaring many districts of the province including Hyderabad as calamity hit and realizing difficulties of business community, the HCCI President said that urban flooding triggered by 400mm of rainfall in Hyderabad which destroyed homes, shops, godowns and warehouses.
He maintained that traders were not able to run their businesses due to two months long rains and they are going through mental agony.
He called for deferring payments of utilities’ bills for two months under present circumstances as the businessmen had borne losses to the tune of millions of rupees.
The HCCI President emphasized that like provincial government, the federal government should also offer relief in its taxes to business community so that the businessmen could revive their business activities as possible.
The HCCI President wondered when district administration would be able to dewater areas affected by rainwater accumulation as all business centres were still flooded.
He said that without disposal of rainwater, trade activities could not be revived.
He alleged that Hyderabad is being meted out step motherly treatment.
He said out of billions of rupees relief fund for rain affected people of Sindh, the chief minister had given only Rs10 millions for Hyderabad which contributes billions of rupees taxes to provincial and federal kitties. He said that this Rs10 millions were just a joke with businessmen.
The HCCI President said that Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) had multiplied miseries of people of the city adding that several transformers were burnt during and after rains leading to prolonged disruption of electricity in those areas.
He alleged that Hesco staff was seen demanding money for repair of transformers which he said highly deplorable.
He said telecommunication system had also been paralyzed and asked Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to pay attention to this issue and resolve this matter with cellular phone companies.