Gov’t urged not to extend night curfew

By Landing Colley

Shopkeepers and street vendors have urged President Adama Barrow government not to extend the night’s curfew as they said it has slowed down their earnings.

The group’s call comes as the government’s imposed 21 days of night curfew which aimed at curbing further spread of coronavirus came to an end on yesterday [Thursday].

A vendor, Fatou Manneh told The Voice she began to experience low earnings since the night curfew was imposed and stressing that she takes care of her family from her business.

“The business is not going well since the start of the curfew because is difficult to sell my goods and to make profits, and is where I take care of my family,” she said.

She added:  “We have family depending on us and also the house rent. This curfew doesn’t favor us at all because we do not sell in the day time, it’s only at night we sell dinner.”

She pointed out that the government allows people to socialize in the day and the curfew start from 10pm, saying that there is reason why the government should impose curfew during night because many people would be at their homes by night times.

“The government should not extend the curfew again because this curfew is not helping us in our businesses. It has shutdown businesses,” she said.

Cherno Essa Jallow, a shopkeeper also lamented that since the start of the curfew the business is not going well for him because it is hard for his bread to   finish.

“I have to pay for the breads supplied. I do not have enough customers at night but even if I want to manage and wait for latecomer sell to those people time doesn’t permit us because the time is very limited.”

He expressed fear that if the government attempts to extend the curfew it will cause huge economic losses on businesses in the country.

Ebrahim Bah and Momodou Bah who are both businessmen echoed similar remarks about any attempt to extend the night curfew would plummet economic growth in the country