MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguay adopting Summer time, probably for good

Adopting GMT-3 all year round should help “simplify many things,” Peña argued

Pursuant to Decree 1264 dated Feb. 24, 2014, Paraguay is to return to Time Zone GMT-3 on the first Sunday of October each year. But this time around the change might become permanent, as President Santiago Peña said Friday he had no problem signing into law the newly passed bill by Congress for the so-called daylight saving time to become effective. “We do not find any reason not to do so,” the head of state pointed out.

“Sunday is the time change to summer time and based on this law, which has been widely debated, it is not a new issue. Of course, there are voices in favor and there are voices against,” he added. “I particularly believe that maintaining a time zone throughout the year ... will also help to simplify many things,” he told reporters.

The new permanent time zone will be evaluated once it is implemented. “Hopefully this will not imply any harm, mainly for children in rural areas who have to get up when many times the sun is not yet up. We will evaluate and if, obviously, the change has to be raised again, there is no problem in evaluating this,” he said.

GMT-3 is the same time zone in force in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and some states of Brazil.