Trade and Industry Minister Mauri Pekkarinen says that the full deregulation of opening hours of retail stores will be reconsidered next year.
In an interview with Nykypäivä, the weekly newspaper of the opposition National Coalition Party, Pekkarinen said that a working group would be set up soon to consider the challenges facing the retail trade, including the issue of store opening hours.
The report of the group is to be ready by spring, and Parliament could get to debate its proposals the following autumn.
Pekkarinen said that the original intention was to re-examine the opening hours issue in 2006, but the schedule was brought forward so that possible changes in legislation could be made in good time before the next Parliamentary elections.
Pekkarinen criticised the present regulations as too confusing. The retail trade has been calling for total deregulation. Such a move has been opposed by trade unions representing retail workers, as well as the Finnish Lutheran Church.
YLE24, Finnish News Agency