Businesses cool with public holiday curfew measures

SOME representatives of the business community say they have no problem with announcements made by the Prime Minister on Saturday on adjustments to the existing public health regulations and state of emergency (SoE).

Among the adjustments mentioned by Dr Rowley at a news conference were the closure of hardware stores for this coming week and an adjustment of daytime curfew periods on the public holidays of Indian Arrival Day and Corpus Christi, to be observed on Monday and Thursday, respectively

Bhagwansingh Group marketing manager John Balliram said, "As a matter of fact, we were considering staggering the working hours from next week."

He explained that because the construction sector has been closed because of the rise in covid19 cases, "We were basically supplying real necessary items which we had a demand for, nothing major."

Against this background, Balliram said Rowley's announcement of hardware stores being closed just for this week and operating on a rotational system the following week did not concern the group "in a major way."

"We had considered that all along. Remember that we had voluntarily closed."

On May 13, the Bhagwansingh Group said iy would be closed from May15-23. Balliram added, "We were back on this week, but in a low-key manner because the construction sector is closed."

He said, "Based on what we have heard, we have to be closed from next week."

Balliram said the group understood Rowley's reasons for the one-week closure of hardware stores.

"We support the call big time."

In a statement, Confederation of Regional Business Chambers co-ordinator Jai Leladarsingh said the confederation supported Rowley's announcements.

"The confederation thanks the Government for not increasing the curfew hours and (maintaining) the existing hours of 9 pm-5 am. We fully agree with this position."

Last Thursday, the confederation and the Supermarkets Association said changing the 9 pm-5 am curfew to a 6 pm-6 am period was unworkable and would increase the risk of greater covid19 spread. The 6 pm-6 am curfew proposal came from the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association. Rowley said Government was not changing the existing curfew times.

Leladarsingh reiterated the confederation's position that Government should do what it can to accelerate the vaccination programme.

Greater San Fernando Chamber of Commerce president Kiran Singh agreed the decision to close hardware stores for this week was sound.

"Although the entire construction sector has been closed along with the majority of commercial sectors, some hardwares and restaurants were benefiting from the disparity within the present economic matrix," Singh said.

On Rowley's announcement of even further restricted public movement on the two public holidays this week, Singh said the chamber "continues to plead with the public to adhere to all SoE and public health regulations to navigate all of us through this pandemic."