Daily Times

The spread of COVID-19 has forced governments throughout the world to be extra careful and watchful towards adoption of strict protection and medical measures. In a quarter of a year, economies have been shaken globally and humanity has suffered a great deal. Children have to stay at home and people are working remotely without commuting in metro, public vans, and Careem and Uber cabs. Industries and markets are closed, shopping malls are shut down, and events are cancelled. This pandemic has affected every sphere of life, globally.

Social isolation and a national emergency have been declared in Pakistan by the federal government. The pandemic has had an immediate impact on educational institutes, industries that employ large numbers of people, conferences, trade shows, seaports, airlines, all types of travel, hospitality industry, sporting events, theatres, cinemas, and restaurants. Government departments are closed, and most companies have asked their employees to work from home. Large retail chains have shut down their stores.

While the impact on small businesses and workers in the gig economy is even worse, thousands of daily wage labourers are suffering because of the closure of manufacturing and construction industry. The ripple and feedback effect of all of these closures will have a major impact on our economy, as each industry that gets impacted puts people out of work, and those laid off workers don’t buy products and services.

Despite being a developing country and having access to limited health resources, Pakistan has become a role model on the coronavirus containment. The federal capital is all set to revive the economy while the country enters the third phase of the national lockdown. Starting from Islamabad, a strategy has been proposed to the decision makers, focusing on guidelines on the commercial sector of Islamabad for safe public movement and re-opening of shops and restaurants in Marakiz and CBD of Islamabad.

According to the guidelines, the federal capital will continue the ban on opening of educational institutes, religious gatherings, cinemas, and all other places that may cause social congestion for at least the next two weeks.

The guidelines can be implemented in all areas with minor changes as the basic idea is that every trade will be opened but in a limited/contained and secure manner (as per guidelines/protection measures of urban hygiene and social distancing) by providing business opportunities to and for all spheres of life. For more explanation, take the example of G-6 Markaz. The business activities related to “NEED” will be given importance over activities related to “WANT.”

Prioritisation of need and want

All retail shops/services are divided into two: what is needed and what we want. All basic services are considered as needs, and the rest of luxuries are categorised as want.

NEED: fruit/vegetable shops, stationery, mobile repair/retail, real estate, stationery

WANT: cloth/garments, shoe shops, indoor sports, gyms, beauty salons, flower shops, service station, crockery shops, and bookshops/newspaper

Categorisation of services and zoning

The markaz will be divided into three zones and services will be categorised to relax lockdown measures. These steps will be followed for zoning and categorisation of services:

Details of all service shops available in G-6 markaz will be listed down, such as nature, size, number of shops etc.

Markaz will be divided into three zones so that all zones are efficiently functional in basic service shops such as vegetables, stationery, mobile/laptop repair etc.

After zoning, the list of all services and shops will be categorised according to need and basic services such as naan shops, stationery, fruit and vegetable shops.

After categorisation of services, the time period will be decided for each zone and service (ranging from four days to seven days; it will be decided by the district administration and traders’ association). For example, priority must be given to basic services; if all basic service shops are operating in any zone for one week, brand outlets can also operate but the number will be decided after knowing the total number of such outlets in each zone.

Every shop/outlet/restaurant must develop, implement and maintain proper standard operating procedures to conduct their day-to-day activities. The SOP must cover the number of staff working; in case of restaurants, shifts of workers; health monitoring; disinfection of shop/restaurant; number of customers allowed at a time; use of safety masks/gloves; working hours etc.

A schedule is set for shops; each shop will be allowed to resume its operations for alternate duration (four days or a week), till 5 pm.

No shop/restaurant will be allowed to terminate any staff member; they will allow employers to switch shifts during an economic downturn to keep them on the payroll.

The writer is the managing director of Sheher Saaz