Fresh extension for outdoor seats, tables

The possibility of using public spaces for the placement of table seating by catering establishments without paying a fee to the municipality concerned is set to be extended until January 15, 2023.

The relevant provision is expected to be passed on Thursday with an amendment to be included in a bill of the Health Ministry, just one day before the expiry of a previous extension also granted by an amendment.

Since May 2020, owners of food outlets have been allowed to place more tables in public areas free of charge due to the pandemic. The provision was introduced to give more space to food outlets and to enable them to maintain the necessary distances mandated due to the coronavirus.

Local government representatives have persistently called for an extension given the resistance of business owners in many areas while high temperatures continue to prevail.

“It’s like saying in a shop, yesterday you could have 100 customers, but from today you can have 50,” the mayor of an area popular with tourists said.

Many owners of restaurants and cafes, especially in areas of high tourist volume, have pressured local authorities for an extension.