LAHORE, May 8: Shopkeepers claim 80 per cent drop in their sales due to the closure of shops at 8pm.

The labour department, on the other hand, has given traders three days to follow the conserve-energy plan announced by the federal government.

“Already on the lower side because of the harsh summer, the sales are registering a further decline,” says a trader of the Fortress Stadium market in Cantonment area.

There are more than 100 shops in the market.

Requesting anonymity, the trader said a shopkeeper who was doing Rs20,000 business daily could sell merchandise worth only Rs4,000 on the first day of the time restriction imposed on Monday.

The Cantonment Board, according to him, is quick to implement the law notwithstanding that the same are being overlooked in other parts of the city.

“Making traders close their businesses by 8pm is nothing but repression. Shopping in posh localities starts after 6pm when people return to their homes from offices and the activity picks up with the passage of time and concludes by midnight.”

A small shopkeeper of Liberty Market, Gulberg, also resented the early closure.

“This is one of the costliest markets of the city and I have to pay a hefty amount as rent for this 10 by 10 shop. Neither the government will pay me to meet my family expenses nor the owners will agree to cut the rent in proportionate with the drop in sales.”

He said owners of big stores were running their business as usual by using diesel generators to meet their power requirements but small time shopkeepers like him were facing the brunt of the federal government’s save-energy decision.

There are more than 2,000 small and big shops in the Liberty Market and a majority of the owners do not have finances to purchase and operate power generators.

The traders say the time restriction is feasible for winter season but not summer when shopping activity picks up after sunset.

Labour department authorities say they have given three days to traders to comply with the new business timings after which they will start prosecuting the violators.

Qaumi Tajir Ittehad leaders claim that Wapda chairman Tariq Hammed had, during negotiations with them, agreed to increase the closure time by one and half hours — to 9.30pm. The decision was later changed when the federal government directed the provincial governments to implement the existing the Shops and Commercial Establishments Act which provides for closure of shops by 8pm, they say.

The law allows 12-hour business duration in a day that means a shop should be opened at 8am for closure at 8pm. But most of the shops open after 10am.

The Parks and Horticulture Authority has decided to switch off its 825 floodlights from today (Tuesday) in accordance with the energy saving plan. These lights have been installed along the Canal and the Mall close to the Aitchison College and are switched on between 7pm to 12midnight.

A survey will also be conducted to ascertain unnecessary lighting in various PHA parks to ensure a further cut in power consumption.

A delegation of small traders called on chief secretary Salman Siddiqui and assured its cooperation in implementing the new timings of shops closure, says a handout issued on Tuesday.