Member of Parliament (MP) for the Madina Constituency and prominent human rights lawyer, Francis-Xavier Sosu, has introduced two bills to substantially reshape public holidays in Ghana.
The bills were officially submitted to the Clerk of Parliament on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, and are currently under review.
Productivity- Centric Public Holidays Bill (No.1)
The first bill, known as the Public Holidays (Amendment) Bill, 2023 (No.1), aims to optimize the use of public holidays for increased productivity.
Among its proposed changes are the removal of the President’s power to declare additional public holidays, allowing the President to merge public holidays, rescheduling public holidays falling between Tuesday and Thursday to Fridays, and eliminating criminal sanctions for non-observance of public holidays.
When passed, public holidays that fall on days between Tuesday and Thursday shall be observed on Fridays. Mr. Sosu emphasized the rationale behind rescheduling certain public holidays to Fridays, indicating that productivity may be at its peak in the middle of the working week.
The bill also grants the President the authority to merge the celebration of any two public holidays in a calendar year in the interest of public welfare and productivity.
Additionally, the proposed amendments aim to address the loss of revenue incurred when public holidays that fall on weekends are postponed to Mondays. The bill seeks to abolish criminal penalties associated with non-observance of public holidays.
Islamic Holidays Extension Bill (No.2)
The second bill, the Public Holidays (Amendment) Bill, 2023 (No.2), advocates for extending the period of public holidays for Muslims from one day to two days for each Islamic festivity. The proposed additions include Tashreeq (a day after Eid-al-Adha Festival) and Shaqq (a day before Eid-al-Fitr).
The Madina MP justified this amendment by stating, “The right of every Ghanaian to freedom of religion is a fundamental one,” referring to Article 21(c) of the 1992 Constitution.”
“The bill aims to provide equal opportunities for Ghanaian Muslims to celebrate their religious festivals, particularly after 30 days of fasting.
Highlighting the significance of the proposed Islamic holidays, Hon. Sosu stated that the religious significance of these holidays is to afford Muslims the opportunity to fully manifest and observe their faith.
“These bills are a crucial step toward realizing a more open, progressive, inclusive, and secure society.”
The proposed amendments seek to balance productivity and observance of religious festivals, ensuring equal opportunities for all citizens.