What are you thoughts on restricted trading hours on Sundays?

By Tina Mata'afa-Tufele 12 August 2020, 6:00PM


Tasi Siamani, 62, Aufaga

It’s nice. To me, it’s a great thing. That is the first thing: we must keep the sabbath day holy, sacred. We have six days to work but Sunday is the day for us to rest. Secondly, everyone must go to church, everyone. Don’t go to the store on Sunday. So now that everyone knows (the shop hours), do all of your shopping on Saturday. Then on Sunday morning, you wake up, cook up your food and then get ready and go to church.  As for the hours, if you close big shops and keep the small ones open, then the small shops make more profits. If you close small shops and keep big stores open then the big stores will profit so now that they are all on the same let’s do it that way.

Joe Fonotoe, 48, Luatuanuu

It’s nice so everyone can go to church and they, the fathers and the youth, can stop drinking beer on Sunday. It’s a good thing that the hours for the small shops and the big shops are the same. It’s better to close all the stores at the same time on Sunday so they are all the same.


Lusia Tevaseu, 55, Saletele

What I think is that all stores should stay closed on Sundays because we have to put God first. God owns everything and he distributes the blessings. We must put God first, close the stores and all of us, we, must get ready and go to church on Sunday mornings. If it’s a directive from the Government to open at 3pm and close at 7pm, we have to abide by the orders that have been given by the Head of State, he is the boss. It’s a good thing and if they have to open and close at certain times then we should go with it.

Line Talo, 71, Amaile

It’s a must. This is a good thing, this decision by the Government is a good decision that was made to protect us, especially in terms of worshiping God on Sunday. I’m thankful for what the Government has decided but we must also show love to our small shops for things that need to be purchased on Sundays.  But it’s a nice change especially for each church. It’s also good that the store opening hours for small and big shops are the same. The small businesses too, they need help.

Jonah Fereti, 32, Matatufu

After God made the heavens and the earth, there was a time when God rested from the work that he did. Sunday is the day when God rested from all his work. It is a holy day. For every living person, there is a day in which we rest. This is the day to honour and praise the Lord. It’s beautiful! Close all the shops on Sunday. There is only one day for God and everyone should honour the Lord on this day and give their lives to the lord. There is only one day of the week for God. A lot of store owners won’t go to church if the stores are open because they then prioritise making money. Give this day to God to allow people to worship and honour him. And it’s good that all the shops will open and close at the same time.


 Maa Faga, 55, Lotofaga

This is what I think and I don’t own a store. This is how God intended it from the beginning after he created heaven and earth. He said we are to reserve this day to make this day available for rest and now we are abiding by his commandment, the commandment of our father in heaven. We need to keep Sunday, the sabbath as a sacred, holy day. As for the opening hours, what I think is if we are going to rest on Sunday then rest and reserve the day as holy. But this way, what is the point? It’s like serving God half and half, we go to church in the morning but they open the stores in the evening. If Samoa is founded on God then this is the day we all have to praise and worship him on Sunday.

By Tina Mata'afa-Tufele 12 August 2020, 6:00PM
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