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The Chambers of Cascais and Lisbon will not allow supermarkets in those municipalities to open earlier, taking into account the “epidemiological evolution of the country.” The decision was motivated by the announcement of the Jerónimo Martins group, which said that the Pingo Doce supermarkets will extend the opening hours for the next two weekends, opening at 6:30 am and closing at 10:00 pm.
In an order, signed by the mayor, Carlos Carreiras, and published by himself through Facebook, it is stated that commercial establishments must comply with the operating hours that were already in force, and that “they are no longer allowed to start their exercise”. before the usual time ”.
Fernando Medina, Mayor of Lisbon, has also signed an order to “clarify” the opening hours of supermarkets. “The opening hours of the commercial establishments in the next two weekends will be at 8 am, the opening before that time will not be accepted at any commercial or retail establishment”, reads the statement to which the PUBLIC had access.
The decision of the Jerónimo Martins group came about due to “limitations on circulation imposed by the state of emergency next Saturday and Sunday, and also taking into account the possibility of additional restrictions on circulation between municipalities,” according to the chain of supermarkets on a sent note. to the PUBLIC this Tuesday. The objective is “to help avoid the concentration of people in stores in the morning”.
Cascais and Lisbon will not be the only municipalities that will not allow this change in opening hours. The mayors of Vila Nova de Gaia and Matosinhos are expected to make a similar decision. Eduardo Vítor Rodrigues, mayor of Gaia, said in a Facebook post this Wednesday that in that municipality it is defended that “no one opens supermarkets before 8 in the morning and that local businesses deserve the same rules as large stores.” .
“Today there is a Council of Ministers. We look forward to decisions with confidence. Local commerce, which pays all taxes in Portugal, cannot be discriminated against compared to hypermarkets. There is respect for the sacrifices of the people, for the state of emergency and for the work of those who fight against this pandemic, ”wrote the president of the Porto Metropolitan Area (AMP), who had already asked the Government to comment on the schedules. opening of commercial areas on weekends.
The mayor of Matosinhos, Luísa Salgueiro, also criticized the decision of the Jerónimo Martins Group, considering it an “insult” for small and medium-sized businesses and for catering entrepreneurs who “sacrifice their business in the name of protecting the health of all “. The socialist mayor assumed that she will try to prevent the group from doing so” within legal possibilities “and that the municipality will evaluate the measures to counter the decision.
The decision of the business group was also criticized by the coordinator of the Bloco de Esquerda, who argued that the Government must “act with force” to stop “the abuse” that Pingo Doce represents by opening its stores at 6:30 am “with the excuse of the pandemic “. Catarina Martins affirmed that the decision represents “an abuse of the workers and their schedules.”
