Parliamentary committee on coronavirus to discuss economic impact of lockdown

ISLAMABAD: A bipartisan parliamentary committee on the coronavirus will meet today to discuss the impact of the virus lockdown on the economy in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

The parliamentary committee, headed by Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar will get input from the business community, Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), traders associations, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) to decide to the future course of action for economic revival.

This will be the fourth meeting of the committee. In the previous meeting, the opposition had called for focusing on building a national narrative on fighting against coronavirus and clear cut policy on lockdown rather than confusion.

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Advisor to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood and Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar will brief the committee on the steps required to protect the industrial sector and on the effects of lockdown on trade and commercial activities in the country,

The committee has invited representatives of the business community to hear their perspective on the issue and to seek their input for making appropriate recommendations to the government for appropriate adjustment in the policy.

President FPCCI Mian Anjum Nisar, and Ajmal Baloch, President All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiraan, will brief the committee regarding concerns and demands of industrialists, exporters and importers and traders, respectively.

The parliamentary committee has also specially invited Ishfaq Yousaf Tola, Chairman Economic Advisory Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan, Members of the National Assembly Ali Pervez Malik, Raja Khurram Shahzad and Senator Saleem Mandviwala, Deputy Chairman Senate, to the proceeding.