HIBAPRESS – Nouakchott
Mauritanian authorities have sparked widespread controversy in the capital, Nouakchott, after issuing a new decision setting the working hours of restaurants and tourist inns, aiming to regulate commercial activity and ensure compliance with health and regulatory standards. The decision stipulates closure at midnight daily, with the exception of Saturdays, when work is permitted until 1:00 AM.
The authorities said that the decision aims to improve the quality of services provided to citizens, reduce polluting emissions, and maintain the cleanliness of the facades of institutions and their external environment. The decision also stipulates strict penalties, including temporary or permanent closure of violating establishments, with the aim of ensuring respect for the law and protecting public health. However, the decision has not been welcomed by a large number of restaurant owners, who considered it a threat to investment in the sector and increases financial pressures on institutions, especially given their heavy reliance on nighttime customer traffic. Restaurant owners point out that reducing working hours may push some of them to reconsider the employment of workers or even lay off some of them, knowing that the sector employs more than 80% of the workforce in this field. Economists say that the decision may affect restaurant revenues and increase operational challenges for new investors in Nouakchott, stressing the importance of finding a balance between regulating commercial activity and ensuring the continuity of the sector and employment stability. In contrast, the authorities believe that the implementation of the decision will be gradual, with strict field monitoring by local administrations to ensure compliance with the laws, stressing that the ultimate goal is to protect public health and improve the quality of services provided to citizens and visitors. It remains that the coming days will reveal the sector's ability to adapt to the new decision, and the extent of its impact on economic and social movement in the capital.
