Parliament Passes New Bill To Shift Midweek Public Holidays To Fridays

Ghana’s Parliament has approved the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days (Amendment) Bill, 2025, introducing sweeping reforms to the national holiday calendar aimed at enhancing productivity and stimulating economic growth.

The new legislation amends the existing Public Holidays and Commemorative Days Act, 2001 (Act 601). Notably, it establishes “Shaqq Day” — a new statutory holiday for the Muslim community, observed the day after Eid-ul-Fitr — and reinstates July 1 as Republic Day, now recognized as a full public holiday of national importance. At the same time, August 4, previously observed as Founders’ Day, has been scrapped due to its divisive nature, with September 21 — the original Founder’s Day — reinstated.

Introduced by Interior Minister Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka on June 24, 2025, and fast-tracked under a certificate of urgency, the bill also seeks to minimize the disruptions caused by midweek public holidays. Under the new law, holidays falling on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays will now be observed on the following Friday. Similarly, holidays landing on weekends will be marked on the following Monday. This change is intended to create longer weekends, which the government says will reduce productivity losses and benefit sectors like tourism and the creative industries.

“Midweek holidays often lead to unplanned leave, reducing overall productivity,” Minister Muntaka explained. “By shifting these holidays to create long weekends, we aim to boost economic activity without placing extra financial strain on the country.”

The revised holiday calendar now includes:

January 1: New Year’s Day
January 7: Constitution Day
March 6: Independence Day
Good Friday and Easter Monday (March/April)
May 1: Labour Day
July 1: Republic Day (reinstated)
Eid-ul-Fitr and Shaqq Day
Eid-ul-Adha (lunar date)
First Friday in December: Farmers’ Day
December 25: Christmas Day
December 26: Boxing Day

Despite resistance from Minority MPs who argued that Parliament should be prioritizing more pressing national issues the bill was passed, signaling a significant shift in how Ghana approaches holiday observance.

The government believes these changes will foster greater national unity by focusing on broadly accepted commemorative days while improving the country’s economic efficiency through a more streamlined and productive holiday structure.

Parliament has passed the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days (Amendment) Bill, 2025, restoring July 1 as Republic Day and September 21 as Founder’s Day, while scrapping August 4 as Founders’ Day.

The bill also introduces “Shaqq Day”—a new holiday to be observed a day after… pic.twitter.com/e0sKoF9MU0

— CITI FM 97.3 (@Citi973) June 25, 2025

Source: Nkonkonsa.com