Suspend bars, market operations, demands ZACCI
SUSPEND bars and market operations restricting only to shelf sales, Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industries President Chabuka Kawesha has said.
Mr. Kawesha said vendors should be cleared and markets should be decongest immediately in the usual fashion before Covid19 spreads.
SUSPEND bars and market operations restricting only to shelf sales, Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industries President Chabuka Kawesha has said. Mr. Kawesha said vendors should be cleared and markets should be decongest immediately in the usual fashion before Covid-19 spreads. He said sellers could be allowed to use the many freed up school sports fields as an option with the health approved distancing measures and requirement, thereafter Government and local authorities could proceed to announce to the nation which school fields had marketers across the districts. In a statement Mr Kawesh said the measures to restrict or reduce movement were unavoidable as was been guided by health experts. “We appeal to Government, the Zambia Information Communication Authority and the Zambia Revenue Authority to immediately suspend or significantly reduce taxes related data and voice telecommunication services so that the operators can in turn reduce the cost of these services,” he said. Mr. Kawesha said the wheels of industry need to continue turning thus at this critical moment resulting from the pandemic, the workforce had to be send to operate from homes were in many cases the necessary data access installation was not available other than on hand held devices. He noted that mobile providers should expect a sharp increase in data usage due to the social distancing and travel delays thus an immediate measure Government could provide relief on the cost of the communication services. “The private sector therefore calls upon Government to urgently respond to our appeal and the business community to equally and urgently implement the social distancing directive issued by the state,” he said. He has also appealed to the members and business sector at large to respond to the calls by Government and health experts to suspend all non-essential movement and isolate or stay and work from home.