By Asim Hussain
ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Committee on Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) will meet for the fourth time at Parliament House on Monday to discuss impact of lockdown on the economy. Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser will chair the meeting.
Minister for Industries and Production will brief the committee on the impact of lockdown due to COVID-19 and immediate steps required to protect the economy with particular reference to the industrial sector.
Likewise, the Advisor to Prime Minister on Commerce will brief the committee on the effect of lockdown with reference to trade and commercial activities in the country.
The committee had also invited representatives of the business community to hear their perspective on the issue besides getting their input for making appropriate recommendations to government for revival of economy affected by the COVID-19.
President Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry Mian Anjum Nisar and Ajmal Baloch, President All Pakistan Anjuman e Tajiraan will brief the committee regarding the concerns and demands of industrialists, exporters and importers and traders.
The Parliamentary Committee had also specially invited Ishfaq Yousaf Tola, Chairman Economic Advisory Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan, Members of the National Assembly Ali Pervaiz Malik, Raja Khurrum Shahzad and Senator Saleem Mandviwala, Deputy Chairman Senate for their input on impact of lockdown due to COVID-19 and immediate steps required to protect the economy.
Soon after the surfacing of coronavirus in Pakistan,a 25-member Parliamentary Committee was constituted having equal representation from National Assembly and Senate with Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser as chairman for parliamentary oversight on the measures by the government to curtail the spread of coronavirus, relief operations and its impact on the economy of the country.
Moreover, the Parliamentary Committee had 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 third meeting. The sub committee had been mandated to examine recommendations of the committee for their implementation. The sub-Committee had also been asked to submit its report periodically to the Parliamentary Committee.
