Overview
- Cabinet has approved a trial lifting of the afternoon retail sales restriction starting in December.
- Sales between midnight and 11 a.m. will continue to be prohibited under existing rules.
- Authorities signal stricter enforcement during restricted hours, including the introduction of fines for violations.
- The afternoon ban dates to 1972 and was designed to deter drinking by on-duty public servants.
- Retailers have taped off shelves during barred hours as critics label the rule outdated, even as some violations persist.