“The business has already transitioned its operations to working 6 days a week and returning to 7-day week involves additional, huge costs. Given the need to ensure double pay for employees (or days off in the middle of the week), opening stores on Sundays will therefore either be absolutely unprofitable, or the costs will be borne by consumers in the form of price increases,” we read in the Chamber's position on the parliamentary draft amendment.
Village shops will begin to disappear
PIH estimates that introduction of two trading Sundays “will result in a strengthening of the trend closing of small local and rural shopsthat perform additional, important functions in local communities.
“That's why we want to strongly warn against negative consequences for the entire trade marketespecially for micro-entrepreneurs, which will result in changes to the rules of Sunday trading in the form proposed in the draft act,” it was noted.
Proposal of a novella without consultation
The Chamber points out that the provisions of the regulations were created without discussions with the industry, and “the document was suddenly introduced through the parliamentary route instead of the government route declared in public statements.”
“It does not contain reliable assessment of the economic and social effects of regulations or any reference to its impact on SMEs, and without such an analysis it is impossible to say whether the amendment is necessary at all or whether it will be harmful. (…) Moreover, these provisions would also come into force during the financial year,” we read further.
Customers and SMEs will lose, foreign discount stores will gain
The Polish Chamber of Commerce sees a number of threats in the project, not only for entrepreneurs, but also, as it says, very much negative effects on the entire trade industry in Poland. According to the Chamber, “the entry into force of the proposed regulation will lead to losses for Polish consumers and Polish small traders, while supporting large foreign discount stores.”
“In the face of a higher one inflation and other economic consequences related to the consequences of the last few years, consumers cannot afford price increases and store owners cannot afford any more higher costs of running a business. Consumers expect their shopping habits to be respected, and we, as an organization representing small Polish trade, appeal for maintaining good regulations and ensuring the stability and predictability of the law,” it concluded.
Draft amendment to the Act on restricting trade on Sundays and holidays and on some other days and Act – Labor Code was brought by the MPs of Poland 2050 and assumes the introduction of two shopping Sundays a month.
(ISBnews)
