Parliament has approved the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days (Amendment) Bill, 2025, introducing major changes to the national holiday calendar.
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Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, who laid the bill before Parliament, announced that all public holidays falling on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays will now be observed on the nearest Friday.
New and Restored Holidays
The bill also establishes July 1 as Republic Day, reinstating it as a full public holiday. Additionally, it restores Founder’s Day to its original date of September 21.
“We believe that 1st July is a significant day in Ghana’s history that deserves full national recognition,” the Minister said while presenting the bill. He reaffirmed the continued observance of key holidays such as:
- January 1 – New Year’s Day
- January 7 – Constitution Day
- March 6 – Independence Day
- Good Friday and Easter Monday (March or April)
- May 1 – Labour Day
- July 1 – Republic Day
- September 21 – Founder’s Day
Longer Weekends, Higher Productivity?
The new holiday structure is expected to create extended weekends, potentially boosting worker morale and productivity while encouraging domestic tourism and economic activity.
Minority Pushback
Despite the positive reception from the public, the Minority in Parliament opposed the fast-tracking of the bill under a certificate of urgency. Opposition MPs argued that the Majority had bypassed due legislative process and ignored more pressing national issues.
Nonetheless, the bill was passed and now awaits full implementation.
