GEORGE TOWN, May 30 – The Foochow Coffee Shops Owners Federation said that if the smoking ban was expanded to open-air premises, there will make more suffer in the business which drop by 30%. The ban area would also be extended to include open-air premises and those without air-conditioning such as traditional coffeeshops, food courts and open-air stalls.
“Its 4,000 members from seven trade associations in Penang, Kedah and Perlis were already seeing a drop in their businesses on account of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). We are already in the dire straits. The banding the smoking will hit our businesses and drive our customer away,” said Federation deputy president Toon Koon Ku.
“Meanwhile, I would like to urged the Health Ministry to engage all parties for an amicable solution before imposing the ban. Besides that, the ministry’s proposal to give a two-year-grace period. Now there were 40% of a shop’s are designed the floor space as a smoking area that it would not make any difference due to the business are still in affected,” he added.
