Karachi: Muhammad Jawed Bilwani, President of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), has made a strong appeal to the government to restore a six-day work week for federal and provincial government bodies to stimulate economic growth and support trade and industry.

According to Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in a recent communication addressed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Bilwani highlighted the challenges faced by the business and industrial community due to the current five-day work week, instituted since October 13, 2011. The policy, initially adopted to conserve energy during a period of acute shortages, is now seen as outdated given the country’s current surplus energy capacity.

Bilwani emphasized that the additional holiday on Saturday has led to significant operational difficulties, including disruptions in handling export and import consignments that result in hefty demurrage and detention charges. The closure of banks on Saturdays also hampers commercial transactions, particularly affecting businesses dealing with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, which observe their weekly holiday on Friday.

The letter pointed out the security risks and financial challenges for commercial centers due to the unavailability of banking services on Saturdays, noting an increase in cash snatching incidents. Bilwani argued for the necessity of a six-day work week, which would not only maximize the use of available power to run industries and trading houses optimally but also correct what he described as a discriminatory practice where private sector employees work significantly more hours than government employees.

He further stressed the disparity in working hours between the private sector, which operates six days a week, and government employees, who currently enjoy a shorter work week. This, Bilwani argued, places an unfair burden on taxpayers, who fund government salaries through their extended work schedules.