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By Humphrey Carter PALMA

A meeting is to be held shortly to discuss a proposal from Afedeco, the Federation of Balearic Commercial Businesses, that Palma should remain open late every week night this summer.

The federation has been working on gathering support for the initiative for the past few months and claims that it has been granted the backing from the Palma hotel sector, the restaurants, bars, museums and art galleries.

The move comes after the success of last summer's “Palma Thursday Night Fever” which allowed shops, museums and galleries to remain open late every Thursday during the peak of the summer season.

However, Afedeco believes that in order for the city centre's business community to recoup the losses incurred during last year's recession, this year's poor Easter and then the cost of the volcanic ash crisis, shops should be allowed to remain open late every night from Monday to Saturday from June 15 to September 15.

BRING THE CITY ALIVE
The federation is confident that such a move will bring the city alive after 8pm when most of the capital closes up and provide greater enjoyment for residents and tourists alike.

Afedeco President, Bartomeu Servera, says that the campaign would breathe some new life into the city centre and also significantly benefit the small to medium businesses which have been hit the hardest by the recession.

Even the Cathedral took part in the Thursday Night Fever campaign last year and other museums, monuments and sites of historic interest are willing to remain open later this summer.