Lockdown relaxation made little impact on business revival in Valley: Traders

Srinagar: Even as the government continues to extend relaxations in the Corona lockdown in the Kashmir valley, business activities are showing no signs of improvement, making it difficult for traders to make ends meet.

Chairman Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) Yaseen Khan said there is no circulation of money in the market and even sometimes it takes days to get the first sale.

“There is no circulation of money in the market. Other than the important purchases, nobody is into the luxury shopping,” Khan said.

“In five days of working as per the new Covid guidelines, sometimes it takes days to get a customer. The survival of the business has become extremely difficult. Moreover, the burden of financial institutions has added to our woes. When there is no business, how can one afford to pay to the banks?” he asked.

Khan said unless there is no capital infusion in the market, it is difficult to get business back on track, given the situations the business has gone through in recent times.

President Sheri-Khaas Traders association, Nazir Ahmed echoed the same views and said the business situation is extremely on the lower side.

While attributing the current declining business to financial crunch, Nazir said the recent successive lockdowns have crippled the economy.

“We have pinned our hopes and expectations on Eid, as the holy festival is ahead, but the current business situation is grim, and the sales are near to nothing,” he said.

Ishtiyaq Ahmed, who is running a footwear shop in the City Centre of Srinagar told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the sales are very rare, and can’t share the ordeal with the family.

“The market situation is very bad, I don’t get even any customer to bargain, I purchased some fresh stock of footwear after the relaxations were announced in Corona lockdown, but there is hardly any buyer, the survival has become very difficult, I don’t tell my family what I am going through”, he said.

President of the New Kashmir Fruit Association Parimpora, Bashir Ahmed said although the government has allowed to operate the Mandi, but other than the essential purchases which include vegetables, there are no big purchases.

“We have a wide range of luxury fruits, but consumers are not showing interest,” he said. —(KNO)