Bottle shops and free competition

Imagine if one fine morning the government were faced with a European Union directive to immediately stop levying taxes, such as those currently levied on motor vehicles. No forewarning, no dialogue, no representations, no chance of a derogation or a notice period. Ridiculous! Fortunately such a scenario is unthinkable in today's day and age. Or is it? Isn't that exactly what the government is doing with bottle shop owners such as myself?

One evening a couple of weeks ago I learned from watching the eight o'clock news that bottle shops would imminently (and for all sorts of lame reasons) no longer be allowed to sell alcoholic beverages after 9 p.m. Suddenly bottle shops have been demonised. Everyone except bottle shop owners seems to have been involved in the plans, including Philip Fenech, of the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises - GRTU, who happens to be a bar owner (Is there a conflict of interest here?) and who was certainly not representing the bottle shop owners.

My business has always been covered by a specific licence by the government's Trade Department to sell alcoholic beverages at any hour of the day (very similar to Off-Licence shops abroad). I have made substantial investments in my business and have always observed all the laws and regulations in force. But, for some obscure reason, persons such as myself have been completely ignored and are now being faced with a fait accompli. Spectres of the days when private investment was constantly at risk come rushing to mind. What is even worse is the fact that all this stinks of protectionism in favour of bars. Are we now no longer in favour of free competition in this country? Is it not correct to state that this issue is in reality a formidable test of the government's belief in a free market? And what ever happened to the government's much-publicised dedication to small businesses? And what about the inevitable loss of jobs as a result of this method of implementing such draconian measures without reasonable notice?

Unless the government now wants to make a U-turn and wishes to send out a message to the effect that investment from small businesses is at risk of being annihilated at the stroke of a pen, then I urge the competent authorities to refrain from publishing the legal notice pending discussions with representatives of directly interested parties. I sincerely hope that good sense will prevail and livelihoods will not be unnecessarily lost.