Less than a quarter of gyms operating legally

Less than a quarter of gyms are operating legally, the Gym Owners Association (Pasigy) said on Tuesday.

It lamented what it described as a “lack of effective control” of the situation regarding the illegal operation of gyms, and said the high rate of illegal gyms is “concerning”.

“The matter concerns the physical health and safety of consumers, while, in addition, illegal gyms often ignore their basic obligations to the state, and are therefore a source of unfair competition,” Pasigy said.

It also said that despite the existence of relevant legislation, “there are weaknesses in the monitoring and enforcement of regulations, which in turn allow illegal gyms to continue unperturbed.”

It added that the “unfair competition” of illegal gyms presents “significant challenges” to licenced gyms, “which threaten their sustainability and the provision of high-quality services to their members.”

In addition, it said licenced gyms are “burdened with higher operational costs” by virtue of following the rules.

This, it said, creates a “financial imbalance” between legal and illegal gyms, as legal gyms are “faced with increased costs while at the same time having to maintain competitive prices.”

To this end, it called for “prompt implementation of existing legislation”, saying that this is “critical … for ensuring the strengthening of the industry and the protection of consumers.”

It added that delays in the laws’ implementation “may have negative consequences”.