Sunday trade ban could be delayed to next year – Rafalska

Parliamentary work on a law restricting trade on Sundays could be finished by October, which would mean that the law would come into force starting from the beginning of 2018, Minister of Family, Labor and Social Policy Elżbieta Rafalska said. She also added that she supports the version of the bill, which restricts the ban to two Sundays a month. “I consider it a sensible proposal to phase out trade restrictions to two Sundays per month, but these are decisions on the part of the Parliament. Rafalska explained that the works on the bill take longer, so the government doesn't repeat the mistakes of the Hungarian cabinet, which had to withdraw from the ban after one year, due to the complaints from the citizens. The bill which was promised by the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) during the parliamentary campaign, undertook many changes since the elections. At first, it was supposed to cover all Sundays and affect most shops, including even those at gas stations. Since then, the government has gradually eased the restrictions.