With Covid cases peaking in the coming weeks, CII-Kerala has appealed to the State Government to maintain a fair balance between lives and livelihoods while enforcing Covid control measures without affecting the industry and economy.

Industries have been witnessing a momentum with surge in demands across different sectors. The proactive measures taken up by the government has helped industries to bounce back and contribute to the State’s economic growth. In a letter to the Chief Minister, CII requested the government to apply learning from the first and second phases of the pandemic.

Sreenath Vishnu, Chairman, CII Kerala said that the government should avoid resorting to lockdown and instead, steps should be taken to provide booster dose in a formalised way at the earliest possible. Restriction on gatherings should be continued and Covid protocol measures and behaviors should be monitored and made compulsory. The pace of vaccination should be increased to achieve 100 per cent.

Though India’s daily case count begins a vertical climb, there should not be a knee-jerk reaction from the State to re-impose curfews and mobility restrictions as deployed in the first two waves of the pandemic. Majority of the small businesses have availed finances, particularly to tide over the challenges due to the earlier lockdown restrictions and they cannot afford to have another lock down. Any such measure without proper planning will impair their business prospects and their ability to repay their loans, which all will put them in huge debt trap, which in turn will be detrimental to the economy as well, the industry body said.

Spice sector

The spice sector was badly affected from the harvest season onwards; logistics, packing materials, shipping have gone through tumultuous times. The sector cannot ill afford a lockdown in these times. “Let us together support the industries to function with necessary control measures even as we promote booster doses for all essential functions and industries,” Geemon Korah, Vice-Chairman, CII Kerala said.

“The point is not to panic but make considered, evidence-based decisions. We need prompt testing and isolation, quick contact-tracing, and prevention of large gatherings, along with strict imposition of wearing masks,” said Thomas John Muthoot, former Chairman, CII-Kerala.

The economy is still reeling under pressure and any further clamp downs will only break the recovery. The IT industry has been struggling severely from attrition and resource shortage (the great attrition) and the challenges in developing resources will be magnified if any further lockdowns or restrictions are imposed, said VK Mathews, former Chairman.

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