16 - 22 December 1999

GRTU asks police to extend opening hours for festive season

by David Kelleher

The GRTU will be calling on the authorities to extend entertainment establishments' opening hours during the festive season.

At a meeting yesterday, the GRTU council agreed - following a request by its members - to call for an extension on opening hours between 24 December and 1 January.

Speaking to The Malta Business Weekly, Philip Fenech, President of the GRTU's hospitality and leisure division, said they would be writing to the Police Commissioner so that opening hours over the festive period will be extended.

"Our members have asked us for an extension of the opening hours during the period 24 December and 1 January and rightly so. Most business is done during this time and it would be ridiculous to apply the hours as stipulated in the regulations," Mr Fenech said.

Owners of entertainment establishment are worried they could lose a lot of business if they had to close earlier and feel an extension to the opening hours over the festive week will be of great help.

If they are granted an extension, entertainment establishments will be able to trade all night and thus accommodate many of those who would only be able to go out in the early hours.

The regulations were introduced in August and stipulated that indoor and outdoor establishments had to close at 4am. The regulations raised a furore among establishment owners and the GRTU's hospitality division lambasted the government over fears that the regulations would seriously affect business.

Mr Fenech told The Malta Business Weekly that if the extension is not granted, the industry will be badly affected.

"One has to remember that this is not only the festive period but also the end of a millennium. Operators in the sector are organising numerous special events during that week," Mr Fenech said.

He added that in previous years, an extension to the opening hours was granted on Christmas eve and New Year's eve.

"We hope the authorities will approve an extension for the whole week," Mr Fenech said.