The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

RETAILERS say they have no issues with the new proclamation of emergency as long as Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis looks out for the best interests of business owners.

According to Rupert Roberts, treasurer of the Retail Grocers Association, the group preparing to ask Dr Hubert Minnis for holiday operating hours they believe the government would have no issues with extending.

Mr Roberts said it was hard to meet the needs of customers with the shopping hours currently reduced.

He said: “As long as the powers in our elected officials, and that’s Cabinet, they are there to protect the economy and the health of the nation and run the country for us, we can’t run it individually, we have elected them to do it and we expect them to do it to our liking and satisfaction. We expect them to protect the retailers.”

About possible holiday hours, he said: “It’s early, but it will give them time to plan. The earlier we give them our ideas it will give them time to plan. We’re still requesting for the Saturday to extend the hours until 7 or 7.30 until dark. We expect them to grant our requests to have a normal Christmas.

“We had contact with him through his secretary about extending the hours and they said they would consider. It’s early, but I think it’s early to give them more time to plan.

“At 4.30 the customers rush in and we can’t get them served and out by curfew so we are requesting that that be extended on Saturday for the public who wants to shop during daylight hours.

“If we can have that until Christmas week and then Christmas week, we want normal hours that we had before the pandemic and I hope that they can. We are hoping that as the cases have gone down, they can grant our requests.”

Last week Mr Roberts voiced his support for the government’s previously announced intention to extend the country’s state of emergency to December 28.

Since then, Governor General C A Smith has issued a new emergency proclamation, which means a state of emergency can be in place for up to six more months.

“There’s things (the government) may have to do. This is the most serious thing that’s ever happened to this country and the world and our leaders have to do whatever they do to protect us,” said Mr Roberts.

“I really don’t have a problem with that if it’s a selection for the country’s representatives making the decision,” he told The Tribune, when asked about the new proclamation.

However, he said, he will not support another full lockdown should the government take that course of action again.