13 October 2019 - Amendments to the Internal Trade Act will begin on Monday, which stipulates that wholesale and retail trade in Montenegro cannot be performed on Sundays and public holidays.
The first non-working Sunday is October 20th. The law was adopted on June 20, and the largest Montenegrin retail chains support this legal solution, although some expect that traffic in their stores will be reduced, given that Sunday and public holidays are the most significant in terms of sales volume, writes Pobjeda daily.
Representatives of trading companies in Montenegro announced that by applying the law, their workers would be more satisfied, and consumers are expected to change their buying habits and adapt to changes and make weekly and daily purchases on other days of the week.
The representatives of the company Voli said they would obey the law but expect others to do so. Commenting on changes to the Internal Trade Act, which introduces a non-working Sunday in trade, the company recalled that they adjusted their business to market requirements and have been working on Sundays since opening the first market. “In any case, we supported the law because we believe it will have a beneficial effect on our employees. When it comes to Voli, a non-working Sunday will make it easier for us to organize our days off, there will be no job streamlining," the representatives of the company said.
The company Merkator CG, which operates Idea stores, said that the company operates following legal regulations, and will do so when it comes to amendments to the Law on Internal Trade, which stipulate that retail shopping facilities in Montenegro cannot operate on Sundays and public holiday days.
"Merkator CG is a socially responsible company and as such, welcomes the Government's measures, that will allow our colleagues from retail stores to have a free Sunday, which they will be able to spend in the family," said Mercator representatives. The management of this trading company believes that its consumers will understand these measures and that they will purchase the products they need on other days of the week.
"Mercator CG expects that these measures will change consumers' purchasing habits and that the purchases made so far on Sundays will be carried out on other days," said Mercator representatives.
Still, they warned that losses in terms of volume sales could result in even more significant losses during the tourist season. "This could adversely affect the business of commerce as a whole, but it remains to be seen in the future," said Mercator CG representatives.
The representatives of Domaća trgovina company also say that in all Aroma and Conto markets, the Law on Internal Trade will be respected so that Sunday will be a non-working day. "All organizational and structural changes in the operation of our markets and discounts have been made in order to harmonize the business with the new legal solution," said the company’s management.
The Inspection Directorate has called on businesses this week to comply with the obligation to contribute to the full implementation of the Internal Trade Act, which introduces a non-working Sunday in commerce.
The Directorate reminded all wholesale and retail trade companies of the prescribed provision of the article of the Law on Internal Trade, which will be enforced from tomorrow, which means that the first non-working Sunday is October 20.
"We warn and appeal to all companies subject to the prescribed restriction to comply with this obligation, so as not to get into the situation that the Market Inspection Directorate through market inspectors takes the prescribed administrative measures and actions and imposes fines," the statement said.
For non-compliance with this obligation, in addition to fines, an administrative measure has been prescribed, which stipulates that if the inspector determines that the trader works on Sundays and public holidays, he will close the shop or other outlets for a period during which work is not allowed. The law provides for a fine of 1,000 EUR to 10,000 EUR for the company and 200 EUR to 500 EUR for the responsible person.
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