By Hasbin Shaw in Freetown, Sierra Leone
Until Monday, April 9, 2018, Sunday was not a day Sierra Leoneans traded or open their businesses. But upon his election and inauguration of the new government in Freetown has announced the reintroduction of Sunday trading and commercial activities effective Sunday April 15, 2018.
“The public is notified that all businesses, trading and commercial enterprises and activities are now permitted to operate on Sundays only between the periods of 12:00 noon – 5:00PM,” a statement issued Monday said.
According to a statement from the office of the President Julius Maada Bio, the Sunday trading restriction came into force in 2014 following the declaration of the Public Health Emergency by former president Ernest Bai Koroma at the peak of the Ebola outbreak. The government then ban trading on Sunday as one of the measures implemented by the government to mitigate the spread of the deadly diseases.
Other measures included a three-day stay at home, placement of ‘Veronica buckets’ in public places and private building, no hand shaking, no touching of dead or sick and all burial done by the state.
For some people the restriction should still be enforced, as it is a day of resting; for others the restriction deprives them of a day wage which they depend on to survive.
Majority of the businesses conformed to the government restriction though, while a substantial numbers of others defied the regulation. Some ended up in police net. The new government also said, “a National Cleaning Day is declared and schedule for the first Saturday of each month, from 7:00am – 12:00 Noon.
“All ministers, departments and agencies (MDAs) and other public sector Institutions are now required to host all government-related workshops, seminars and conferences at MDAs/ Public sector institution premises and NOT at Hotels. The objective is to save cost and prevent wastage of scarce government resources,” the statement said.
